Journal of Wetland Ecobiology
Volume 18, Issue 4 (3-2026)
2026, 18(4): 66-75 |
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Masoumi Zadeh S Z, ghavabeshi H. Investigation of the bioremediation of heavy metals from hospital wastewater using a combined approach of EDTA and microalgae Arthrospira platensis. Wetland Ecobiology 2026; 18 (4) : 6
URL: http://jweb.ahvaz.iau.ir/article-1-1132-en.html
URL: http://jweb.ahvaz.iau.ir/article-1-1132-en.html
Azad University
Abstract: (3 Views)
Hospital wastewater contains high concentrations of heavy metals and organic compounds, posing a serious threat to the environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the microalga Arthrospira platensis in the presence of different concentrations of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as a chelating agent for the removal of heavy metals, including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), and arsenic (As), from hospital wastewater. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with five EDTA treatments (0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08, and 0.12 g L⁻¹) in addition to a control, with three replicates. Cultures were maintained at 25 ± 1 °C under a 16:8 h light: dark photoperiod. Heavy metal concentrations were determined on days 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 after inoculation. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), and treatment means were compared using the least significant difference (LSD) test at the 5% probability level. The results showed that heavy metal removal was significantly affected by both EDTA concentration and contact time (P < 0.05). Cultivation of A. platensis in all EDTA-containing treatments resulted in significantly greater removal of Pb, Cd, Fe, and as than the control (P < 0.05). For all four metals, the residual concentrations decreased progressively from day 1 to day 12, with the highest removal efficiencies observed on the final sampling day. Increasing the EDTA concentration further enhanced metal removal, and the highest EDTA treatments (0.08 and 0.12 g L⁻¹) generally exhibited the lowest residual metal concentrations. Comparison among the four metals revealed distinct removal patterns and significant differences among treatments, indicating that the chemical characteristics of each metal influenced the removal efficiency. These findings demonstrate that extending the contact time and applying appropriate EDTA concentrations can significantly improve the heavy metal removal capacity of A. platensis. Overall, the combined application of Arthrospira platensis and EDTA represents an effective and environmentally friendly approach for reducing heavy metal concentrations in hospital wastewater and has considerable potential for improving bioremediation processes.
Article number: 6
Keywords: Bioremediation, Arthrospira platensis, EDTA, heavy metals, Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Iron (Fe), Arsenic (As), Hospital wastewater
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
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Received: 2026/01/7 | Accepted: 2026/07/29 | Published: 2026/07/29
Received: 2026/01/7 | Accepted: 2026/07/29 | Published: 2026/07/29
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