Effects of Cellular Metabolism and Viability on Metal Ion Accumulation by Cultured Biomass from a Bloom of the Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa

The sorption of nickel, cadmium, and copper by cultured biomass from a naturally occurring bloom of Microcystis aeruginosa was demonstrated in two systems: cells suspended in culture medium and cells immobilized in alginate. Incubation in the absence of light, in the presence of metabolic inhibitors, and at 4°C did not substantially decrease the copper accumulation by cells in culture medium. Heat-killed, formaldehyde-treated, and air-dried biomass samples sorbed nearly as much (or in some cases slightly more) copper as did viable samples.