This work presents the results of a study whose aim was to determine the influence of algal blooms on precipitation of heavy metals. The scope of the study covered culture of a mixed population made up of Scenedesmus and Pseudokirchneriella algae in experimental conditions and initiating a metal biosorption process with the use of culture biomass by administering ions of Zn(II) and Ni(II). The process was controlled by assessing the level of biosorption of metals entered at a one-off basis in the form of Zn(II) and Ni(II) salts or in the form of mixture of both ions, in comparison to the control sample, at different exposure times (2 hours and 24 hours). The presence of metals was determined both in the biomass and in the culture medium. The presented results of the study confirm the effectiveness of Chlorophyta in the process of zinc and nickel biosorption. A phenomenon of competitiveness between the metals was observed when they were administered at the same time.
The investigations were carried out in order to assess the effect of thermophilic fermentation on
changes in concentration of seven congeners with codes: 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153 and 180 in sewage sludge.
The total concentration of PCBs was the highest before the process of thermophilic fermentation. On the tenth
day of the process of fermentation it was found that the total concentration of LCB doubled the previous level,
whereas in higher chlorinated PCBs this value decreased twice. After the process of thermophilic digestion,
all the determined congeners of PCBs were still present. However, their total concentration was reduced by
84% on the fourteenth day of the process. Low concentration of heavy metal ions in the liquid phase of sewage
sludge was observed. The metal ions precipitated and remained bound throughout the stabilization process.
Metal speciation analysis was performed, and revealed some changes in the chemical forms of the metals during the stabilization process of sludge. The highest increase of zinc, copper, nickel, cadmium, and chromium
concentration was observed in the organic-sulfide fraction, whereas the highest increase of lead was found in
the residual fraction. Thermophilic methane fermentation did not cause the accumulation of heavy metals in the
mobile fractions of sludge.