The removal of heavy metals from wastewater using adsorbants such as waste tea, Turkish coffee, exhausted coffee, nut and walnut shells has investigated. Batch studies were conducted at room temperature and adsorption experiments were carried out by shaking 0.3 g of adsorbent with 100 ml synthetic wastewater containing Cr (VI). Cd (II) and A1 (III) metal ions. The remaining concentration of heavy metals in each samples after adsorption at various time intervals was determined spectrophotometrically. Batch studies showed that these adsorbents exhibit a good adsorption potential for A1 (III) metalions. The adsorption ratios of A1(HI) were as 98, 99, 96, 99.5 and 96% for waste tea, Turkish coffee, exhausted coffee, nut and walnut shells, respectively. These results were compared with those obtained using activated carbon as adsorbent. The batch adsorption kinetics and adsorption equilibria were examined and described by a first order reversible reaction and Freundlich isotherm, respectively. The first order rate and isotherm constants have been calculated.

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There is a growing interest to immobilize desired bacteria using inexpensive materials in order to improve the wastewater treatment process. Three different types of carriers namely natural zeolite, magnesium-exchanged natural zeolite and quartz sand of different particle size were used to immobilize the phosphate-accumulating bacteria Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and to determine which one was the most effective. Bacteria were cultured for 24 h in various reactors containing different particle sizes of each of the carriers. The majority of the cultured bacterial population was immobilised onto the different carriers by means of adsorptive growth while a minority of free cells was observed in the supernatant. The number of immobilised viable cells (CFU) depended on the type of carrier and the particle size. The highest loading rate of immobilised cells (68.61±1.11 x 10 8 CFU/g) was observed with the smallest particle size (<0.125 mm) of magnesium-exchanged natural zeolite.