RESUMEN
Batch biosorption studies were carried out for the removal of nickel and copper using biosorbents, from single metal aqueous solutions. Treated and untreated effluent, soil and sludge samples were collected from selected points of chrome plating unit located at Visakhapatnam. The collected samples were analyzed for physico-chemical quality. The effects of some of the major parameters of biosorption, viz. contact time, dose of biosorbent, pH and initial metal concentration were studied and optimized. The optimum contact time, biosorbent dosage and pH were found to be 1 hr, 5 g/L and 10 respectively. The percentage removal of nickel and copper for an initial concentration of 20 ppm, for a dosage of 5 g/ L of dry fungal biomass at pH 10 and for a contact time of 1 hr was found to be 75.5% and 55.5% respectively, whereas, for an initial concentration of 100 ppm under the same optimum conditions, it was found to be 71% and 50% indicating that even at high concentration of metal ions the efficiency of biosorption is high. The dry fungal biomass has more favorable sites for nickel than copper ions.