The uses of microorganisms, including live and dead bacterial biomass such as the actinomycetes, have been widely studied. In the present work flotation is proposed as the separation stage for harvesting suspended micro-organisms following biosorption of cadmium. The parameters investigated in batch mode were solution pH, ionic strength, use of a frother (ethanol) and a cationic collector (cetyl trimethylammonium bromide) and biomass elution by EDTA. The process was also compared with cadmium ion flotation. Promising results were obtained with dead Streptomyces biomass in dilute aqueous cadmium solutions.