Diseño de un Sistema de Biorremediación para la remoción de metales pesados de efluentes mineros provenientes de la zona minera Portovelo-Zaruma

Abstract

Abstract: Mining in southern Ecuador contaminates with heavy metals the Calera and Amarillo rivers in the province of El Oro. The capacity of heavy metal removal by bioremediation techniques with Eichhornia crassipes, Lemna minor and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was evaluated. The tests were carried out with 50 liters of water collected in a stretch of the Amarillo river near mining zone, 3500g of Eichhornia crassipes biomass were planted, two 2 liter samples were taken from the water resulting from the treatment, one was inoculated with 5%p/v of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the other with 5%p/v of Lemna minor. The combinations Eichhornia crassipes with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Eichhornia crassipes with Lemna minor were evaluated for 144 hours. The biosorption of heavy metals was determined by atomic absorption analysis with the PerkinElmer Model Analysit 400 Graphite Furnace HGA900. After the overall treatment, the percentage removal of heavy metals was calculated and it was shown that the best combination is Eichhornia crassipes with Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a removal efficiency of Pb 100%, Cu 98.41%, As 98.23% and Zn 95.88%.