Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Vol.99, No.12, 5269-5280, 2015
Scrutinizing the influence of UV radiation on adsorption behavior of zinc metal on marine diatom Nitzschia sp BDU DD 002
The present study is an investigation into the adsorption of zinc metal on marine diatom Nitzschia sp. under the influence of ultraviolet radiation to reveal the possible role of radiation in metal biomineralization. Nitzschia sp. was isolated from marine habitat and gradually acclimatized to UVA, UVB, and zinc (30 mg/L). The culture was subjected to various concentrations of zinc (5, 10, 15, 20 mg/L) with an artificial exposure of PAR, PAR + UVA, and PAR + UVB radiation. The adsorption isotherm models were applied for validating the hypothesis stating the association of zinc adsorption with exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Altered functional groups on the surface were observed in the FTIR spectra along with changes in antioxidant activity, superoxide dismutase activity, pigment and protein contents due to increased zinc concentration and ultraviolet radiation. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM-EDAX) supported the microscopic morphology of adsorbed metals.