Sorption of copper ions by the alga Spirogyra sp. was investigated to determine the influence of experimental conditions and the methods of sample preparation on the process. The experiments were carried out both under the static and the dynamic conditions. Kinetics and equilibrium parameters of the sorption were evaluated. In addition, the influence was studied of the algae preparation methods on the conductivity of demineralized water in which the algae samples were immersed. The static experiments showed that the sorption of Cu(2+) ions reached equilibrium in about 30 min, with approximately 90% of the ions adsorbed in the initial 15 min. The sorption capacity determined from the Langmuir isotherms appeared highly uncertain (SD=±0.027 mg/g dry mass or ±11%, for the live algae). Under static conditions, the slopes of the Langmuir isotherms depended on the ratio of the alga mass to the volume of solution. The conductometric measurements were proven to be a simple and fast way to evaluate the quality of algae used for the experiments.
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