Heavy metal sorption by released polysaccharides and whole cultures of two exopolysaccharide-producing cyanobacteria.

The metal removal capacity of cultures of two capsulated, exopolysaccharide-producing cyanobacteria, Cyanospira capsulata and Nostoc PCC7936, were tested using copper (II) as the model metal. C. capsulata cultures removed the greatest amount of copper, with a maximum per unit of biomass (q(max)) of 115.