Abstract
► The optimum pH was 7 for phenol adsorption by all the test biomasses. ► Treatment by rhamnolipids and Triton X-100 increased phenol adsorption. ► Treatment by surfactants increased cell surface zeta potential and hydrophobicity. ► Surfactants changed functional groups and element concentrations on cell surface. ► The pseudo-second-order model and Freundlich isotherms fit adsorption process well.
The effects of rhamnolipids and Triton X-100 on phenol adsorption by Penicillium simplicissimum were studied. The optimum pH was 7 for phenol adsorption by all the test biomasses. The adsorption of phenol at pH 7 by biomass pre-treated with 0.05% Triton X-100, 0.2% Triton X-100, 0.05% rhamnolipids and 0.005% rhamnolipids was 3.4, 2.7, 2.4, and 1.8-fold, respectively, that of untreated biomass. The pseudo-second-order model and the Freundlich isotherms described the adsorption processes better than the pseudo-first-order model and the Langmuir isotherms, respectively. The pre-treatments by surfactants increased the zeta potential and hydrophobicity of P. simplicissimum. Analysis of the cell surface by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, energy dispersive X-ray, and environmental scanning electron microscopy indicated that the pre-treatments by surfactants changed the cell surface functional groups, element concentrations and micrographs. The results indicated that surfactants can be potentially used to increase phenol adsorption.