Enhancement of Metal Sorption by Composted Paper Mill Waste Following Microbial Manipulation

Compost Science & Utilization, (2004), Vol. 12, No. 1, 31-34

S.K. Lister and M.A. Line

School of Agricultural Science, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

The biosorptive-capacity of composted paper mill waste (PMW) for the heavy metals [Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II)] was improved by inoculation of sterilized compost with a Bacillus brevis strain followed by incubation. This strain was originally isolated from the compost and adsorbed up to 31% of its dry weight of lead and 28% in copper at an initial concentration of 185.2mg/L and 182.3mg/L respectively. Estimated numbers of the bacterium following 21 days growth in the compost at 25?C reached 109cells/g. The modified compost exhibited up to a three-fold increase in capacity for removal of lead and up to a two-fold increase in capacity for removal of copper from aqueous solution.

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