In order to elucidate the potential mechanisms involved in the biosorption of metal ions, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy were used to characterize the interaction between Pb 2+ and Bacillus cereus. AFM imaging of the biomass surfaces exposed to different concentrations of lead ions solution showed a major morphological change occurred after Pb 2+ biosorption. The FT-IR spectra indicated the binding characteristics of the lead ions involved the carboxyl, hydroxyl and amino groups in the biomass. Equilibrium biosorption experiments of Pb 2+ were carried out to investigate the effects of pH values and the initial metal concentrations. The experimental isotherm data were then modeled using Langmuir, Freundlich, and Redlich-Peterson isotherm equations. As a result, the Redlich-Peterson model yielded the best fit of experimental data. Kinetics experiments showed the biosorption was a rapid process and the pseudo-second-order model was successfully applied to predict the rate constant of biosorption.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.