Patent ID: 8748153

Claim:
A process for the production of a biosorbent for the removal of cationic or anionic metals from aqueous solution, the process comprising: a) growing the bacterial strain Bacillus sp. VCHB-10, deposited as NRRL-B-30881, under conditions sufficient to allow the bacterial strain to form aggregates of bacterial cells in a culture medium; b) allowing the aggregates of bacterial cells to sediment in order to concentrate the aggregates; c) recovering the concentrated aggregates; d) washing the concentrated aggregates with water; e) contacting the washed aggregates of concentrated bacterial cells with a solution of polyethyleneimine in methanol to form a reaction mixture, and allowing the mixture to undergo chemical modification; f) contacting the polyethyleneimine-treated aggregates with a solution of glutaraldehyde to initiate a crosslinking reaction; g) allowing the crosslinked aggregates to sediment; and h) washing the sedimented crosslinked aggregates with water to yield the biosorbent capable of adsorbing metal ions.