Praseodymium(III) Removal from Aqueous Solutions Using Living and Non-Living Arthrospira platensis Biomass

Abstract

Praseodymium, the sixth-most abundant rare-earth element, is widely used in the aircraft industry for the elaboration of refractory substances, coloring materials, lighting equipment, and fiber optical cables. Living and non-living Arthrospira platensis biomass was applied for Pr(III) removal from aqueous solutions. In bioaccumulation experiments, the effect of Pr(III), introduced into the medium in a concentration range of 10–30 mg/L, on biomass productivity, biochemical composition, and antioxidant activity was assessed. The biomass showed high accumulation capacity (more than 99%) toward Pr(III). Supplementation of the cultivation medium with Pr(III) led to a decrease in carbohydrate and lipid content, but it did not significantly influence biomass productivity or the content of proteins and pigments. In experiments with non-living biomass, the effect of pH, Pr(III) concentration, temperature, and contact time on the efficiency of metal removal was investigated. The maximum uptake of Pr(III) was achieved at pH 3.0 after 3.0 min of interaction. The equilibrium data were explained using the Langmuir and Freundlich models, while the kinetics of the process was described by applying pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and Elovich models. The maximum sorption capacity of Arthrospira platensis biomass calculated from the Langmuir model was 99.3 mg/g. According to the thermodynamic calculations, the process of Pr(III) removal was spontaneous and exothermic in nature. The obtained data can be used for the development of environmentally-friendly technology for Pr(III) recovery from wastewater as well as to understand the effect of Pr(III) on aquatic organisms.