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Investigations were carried out on the uptake of the heavy metal cadmium (Cd) by the green alga Chlorella emersonii with the aid of an ion selective electrode. Cadmium uptake by Chlorella was very rapid with 70% of total uptake occurring during the first 10 seconds. Uptake of cadmium by Chlorella showed a direct relationship to the amount of metal present, suggesting ‘equilibrium conditions' being responsible for the amount of metal removed from solution rather than just number of binding sites available. Absence of metabolic involvement in the uptake process was observed as there was no difference on final uptake of cadmium whether cells were alive or dead. It is concluded that living or dead Chlorella biomass has a high biosorption potential for cadmium, and its rapid uptake makes it an attractive candidate in the current proposed application of biosorption technology for industrial waste treatment.


KEY WORDS: Cadmium uptake, alga Chlorella, industrial waste treatment, biosorption technology, cell biomass.


Global Jnl Pure & Applied Sciences Vol.10(2) 2004: 257-262