Immobilized microbial biosorbents for heavy metals removal.

Intensive industrial and urban growth has led to the release of increasing amounts of environmental pollutants. Contamination by metals, in particular, deserves special attention due to their toxicity and potential to bioaccumulate via the food chain. Conventional techniques for the removal of toxic metals, radionuclides and precious metals from wastewater all have a number of drawbacks, such as incomplete metal extraction, high cost and risk of generating hazardous by-products.