




































Highlights in BioScience
ISSN:2682-4043
DOI:10.36462/H.BioSci.202403

Research Article

Open Access

1 Department of Biotechnology, Mandalay

Technological University, Mandalay, Myanmar.

* To whom correspondence should be ad-
dressed: tinmyatmyatsoe1977@gmail.com

Editor: Alsamman M. Alsamman, International
Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
(ICARDA), Cairo, Egypt.

Reviewer(s):
Morad M. Mokhtar, University Mohammed VI
Polytechnic, BenGuerir, Morocco..

Mohamed Hassan Mubarak, Plant Production
Department (Crop Breeding Branch), Faculty
of Environmental Agricultural Sciences, Arish
University, North Sinai, Egypt.

Received: March 19, 2024

Accepted: June 9, 2024

Published: June 25, 2024

Citation: Soe TMM, Thinn NW, Zaw NM. Study
on Biosorption of Lead (II) and Manganese
(II) from Aqueous Solutions Using Sodium
Alginate and Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster Mushroom)
Beads. 2024 Jun 25;7:bs202403

Copyright: © 2024 Soe et al.. This is an open
access article distributed under the terms of the Cre-
ative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in
any medium, provided the original author and source
are credited.
Data Availability Statement: All relevant data are
within the paper and supplementary materials.
Funding: The authors have no support or funding to
report.
Competing interests: The authors declare that they
have no competing interests.

Study on Biosorption of Lead (II) and Manganese (II) from Aqueous
Solutions Using Sodium Alginate and Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster
Mushroom) Beads

Tin Myat Myat Soe1
><�, Ngu Wah Thinn1

>< �, Nyein Min Zaw1
><�

Abstract

The present study investigated the development of beads from alginate and mushroom
powder for the removal of lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) from water. Batch
biosorption experiments were conducted, varying pH and the composition of
alginate and mushroom powder. Results indicated that the combination of alginate
and mushrooms achieved over 86.8% reduction in Pb and 65.9% reduction in Mn
concentrations, with higher reductions observed for both metals at pH 5. These
findings suggest that the beads effectively reduced Pb and Mn concentrations, with the
mushroom content playing a significant role in their efficacy. The analysis of the FTIR
spectrum showed that the uptake of metal ions by mushrooms involves interactions of
ions with hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amide groups. This study underscored the potential
applications of these beads in addressing heavy metal pollution in water sources. By
providing a sustainable and effective method for heavy metal removal, the use of
alginate and mushroom-based beads could offer a valuable solution for environmental
remediation efforts.

Keywords: AAS, Biosorption, FTIR, Heavy metal, Mushroom, Alginate bead

Introduction
Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements in the Earth’s crust since its formation, posing

serious risks to human health and the environment. Groundwater and surface water contamination by

heavy metals is a global concern, particularly in low-income or developing countries. Most heavy

metals are non-biodegradable and tend to accumulate in living organisms [1; 2]. In Myanmar, heavy

metal pollution has been reported in various regions, including Mandalay, where population growth

has exacerbated environmental challenges. Studies have identified the presence of calcium (Ca),

copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), iron (Fe), and

zinc (Zn) in water samples, with concentrations sometimes exceeding WHO standards [1; 2; 3; 4; 5].

The removal or reduction of these heavy metals is crucial for human health and environmental

protection. Researchers have investigated various techniques, including physical, chemical, and

biological methods, to address this issue. While these methods have shown promise, challenges such

as high costs, sludge production, and technical constraints remain [6]. Water, essential for all life

forms, supports plants, animals, and human life. However, heavy metal contamination in groundwater

is a serious issue globally. In Myanmar, Mandalay has seen a rise in population, leading to increased

studies on heavy metals since 2014. Samples from regions like Aung-Myay-Tharzan, Chan-Aye-

Tharzan, Chan Mya-Tharzi, Mahar-Aung-Myay, Pyi-Gyi-Tagon, and Amarapura townships have

shown levels of calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), manganese

(Mn), lead (Pb), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn). Lead is particularly toxic to every organ and system in the

human body, with the maximum acceptable lead limits in water set at 0.01 mg/L (10 ţg/L) by the

World Health Organization [4; 7]. Similarly, excessive manganese (Mn) in the environment can cause

health issues. The WHO suggests a concentration of manganese in drinking water should be less than

0.05 mg/L [3; 6; 8].

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https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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mailto:tinmyatmyatsoe1977@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1827-898X
mailto:nguwahthin1983@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0058-6168
mailto:ngyein2006@gmail.com
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Soe et al., 2024 Biosorption of Lead and Manganese from Water Using Alginate-Mushroom Beads

In 2015, it was reported that the concentrations of manganese
and other metals were found unsafe in many wells in Myanmar
[5]. In a study conducted by Maw et al. in 2020, manganese was
found to exceed permissible limits in 3 out of 6 townships, and
lead in 1 out of 6 townships in the Mandalay region [7]. Recent
studies have explored biosorption and adsorption methods for
heavy metal removal, utilizing materials like chitosan, bentonite,
zeolite, and alginate as biosorbents. Alginate, extracted from
brown marine algae and bacterial sources, has shown promise
for heavy metal removal. Its high surface area, biocompatibility,
and abundance make it an attractive option. Alginate works
by forming complexes with metal ions, effectively sequestering
them from aqueous solutions. Studies have demonstrated its
effectiveness in removing various heavy metals, including lead,
copper, cadmium, and nickel. Alginate-based adsorbents are
relatively easy to prepare and can be tailored to specific metal
removal requirements, making them a promising candidate for
future research in heavy metal remediation [1; 9].

Mushrooms, including Pleurotus ostreatus, have shown ex-
cellent binding properties and tolerance to metals and adverse
environments, such as various pH and temperature conditions
[10; 11]. Oyster mushrooms, such as Pleurotus ostreatus, are
environmentally friendly and can decompose organic or lignocel-
lulosic wastes within 34 weeks [12]. Pleurotus ostreatus mush-
room, in particular, has shown promise in absorbing heavy metals
from its surroundings. In combination with other materials, such
as alginate, mushrooms have demonstrated synergistic effects,
enhancing heavy metal removal efficiency. This study aims to
reduce heavy metal concentrations using a biosorption method
with Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom as an inexpensive biosorbent,
mixed with sodium alginate to form beads for its low cost, ease
of use, and excellent removal efficiency. The objective of this
work is to evaluate the effect of Pleurotus ostreatus powder and
alginate mixture beads on removing lead and manganese from
aqueous solutions.

Materials and Methods
Instrumentation

The Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AA-7000, Shi-
madzu, Japan) with an air-acetylene flame system was utilized
for precise metal determination. It is capable of measuring heavy
metals and other elements at parts per billion (ppb or µg/l) con-
centrations with minimal sample volumes. A shaker (SK 2000,
Thermo Fisher, USA) was used for mixing solutions, while a
pH meter (Serial NO. 600719039029) was employed to measure
acidity or alkalinity in water-based suspensions. Glassware was
sterilized and dried using an air oven (SH-DO-100FG, Serial
No. 200530DO-100FG, Korea). An analytical balance (AY120,
Serial No. D432712541, Shimadzu, Japan) was used for mea-
suring object mass or chemical weight. Biomass spectra were
analyzed using a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer
(FTIR) (IRTracer-100, Shimadzu, USA) with spectral scanning
from 500 to 3500 cm−1 to identify functional groups responsible

for heavy metal adsorption and provide information on oxidation
state, bonding, and morphology of dispersed clusters of heavy
metal ions. A digital hotplate stirrer (Hotplate Stirrer, HSD-330,
Korea) was used to homogenize alginate and mushroom powder
for bead formation.

Chemicals and Reagents
Sodium alginate (C6H7O6Na), anhydrous calcium chloride

(CaCl2), lead (II) acetate, manganese (II) solution, hydrogen
peroxide (H2O2), nitric acid (HNO3), and hydrochloric acid
(HCl) were purchased as analytical-grade chemicals from well-
established scientific supply stores in Myanmar.

Collection and Preparation of Mushroom Powders
The fresh mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) samples were

purchased from the local market in Kyaukse, Myanmar. The
mushroom samples were thoroughly cleaned with tissue paper
to remove dust, cut into pieces with a knife, and dried at room
temperature for 3 days. After drying, they were ground with a
blender and stored in plastic bags at room temperature for later
use.

Preparation of Bead Formation
All glassware (tubes, conical flasks, beakers, etc.) was soaked

in HNO3 for several hours in acidic water (10% nitric acid) to
remove any residual organic contaminants and oxidize any trace
metal ions present on the surface before undergoing a regular
washing procedure with deionized (DI) water. Then, they were
dried in an oven at 60řC for 24 hours. Based on preliminary ex-
periments assessing the structural integrity of formulated beads,
concentrations of 4% and 6% for both sodium alginate and mush-
room powders were selected to investigate their effects on bead
efficacy for heavy metal removal. Firstly, sodium alginate (4%
and 6%) was added to 100 ml of DI water and stirred with a
magnetic stirrer at 60řC for 35 minutes. Mushroom powders (4%
and 6%) were then added to the sodium alginate solutions and
stirred with a magnetic stirrer for 35 minutes. Different concen-
trations of sodium alginate and mushroom powders were used to
investigate their effects on bead properties and efficacy for heavy
metal removal. This approach helps understand the influence of
these parameters on bead performance, providing insights for po-
tential optimization of bead synthesis. After cooling, the solution
was dropped using a 60 ml CC syringe without a needle into 1M
calcium chloride solution and left for 5 hours to solidify. Fresh
bead diameters ranged from 2 to 4.5 mm. Beads were washed
with DI water and dried at room temperature overnight. Blank
samples were included to account for background contamination.
Figure 1 illustrates the bead formation process.

Preparation of Lead (II) and Manganese (II) Solutions
Lead (II) acetate and manganese (II) solution were purchased

from the local market in Myanmar. Pb (II) and Mn (II) solutions
were prepared separately by dissolving 100 ppm of Pb (II) and
Mn (II) in deionized water. The solutions were stirred with a
magnetic stirrer for 30 minutes.

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Soe et al., 2024 Biosorption of Lead and Manganese from Water Using Alginate-Mushroom Beads

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

Figure 1. Bead formation of (a) 4% Alginate and 4% Mushroom Powders, (b)

4% Alginate and 6% Mushroom Powders, (c) 6% Alginate and 4% Mushroom

Powders, and (d) 6% Alginate and 6% Mushroom Powders.

pH Adjustment
The original pH of Pb (II) and Mn (II) solutions was adjusted

using 1 M NaOH solution and 1 M HCl solution to achieve pH
3 and pH 5. After adjusting the pH, the mixture of alginate and
mushroom powder beads was added to the Pb (II) and Mn (II)
solutions.

Biosorption Experiments
A bead dosage of 2 g was added to flasks containing 20

ml of lead (II) and Mn (II)-bearing solutions adjusted to pH 3
and pH 5. Flasks were shaken at 100 rpm at room temperature
for 45 minutes, during which the equilibrium stage of Pb (II)
concentration removal was reached [11]. Samples were filtered
using cellulose membrane papers. The filtrate of lead (II) was
digested using closed digestion (microwave), and that of Mn (II)
using the open digestion method. Metal concentrations in the
filtrate were determined by AAS (AA-7000) for each treatment
in duplicate.

FTIR Characterization
Dried metal-loaded and metal-free (control) beads were sepa-

rately prepared for FTIR analysis. Firstly, the dried bead sample
was ground with a mortar and pestle to a fine powder. Equal
amounts (2.0 mg) from each sample were taken and mixed with
approximately 200.0 mg of potassium bromide (KBr). Each
potassium bromide-treated control and sample were thoroughly
mixed with a mortar and pestle and pressed under vacuum into
pellets, which were then analyzed using FTIR.

Statistical Analysis
Statistical analysis was conducted in R (version 4.3.0) us-

ing several packages. Data were read from an Excel file using
the read_excel function from the readxl package. Variable
renaming was performed using the str_c function from the

stringr package to ensure consistent naming conventions. For
data manipulation and variable coding, the mutate function from
the dplyr package was utilized. Linear regression analysis was
conducted using the lm function from the stats package to
model the relationship between treatment variables and the reduc-
tion percentage of Pb and Mn. Data visualization was performed
using the ggplot2 and ggpattern packages to create plots il-
lustrating the relationships between variables. The data were
trimmed to only include treatment variables and calculated as
the percent reduction relative to the initial concentrations of Pb
and Mn. A 2k factorial design was employed, with lower values
coded as -1 and higher values as 1 for all three treatment vari-
ables, allowing evaluation of main effects (individual variables)
and interaction effects (combined effects of variables) on the sorp-
tion capacity of the biosorbent. Separate regression models were
conducted for each metal (Pb and Mn) to assess the impact of
pH, alginate concentration, and mushroom powder concentration
on the reduction percentage. The coefficients of the regression
models were interpreted to determine the magnitude and direc-
tion of the effects of each variable. Additionally, p-values were
calculated to assess the statistical significance of each variable’s
effect on the reduction percentage.

Results and discussions
The reduction of lead

Across all pH, alginate, and mushroom powder combina-
tions, an average reduction of 82.1% of Pb (II) was achieved,
with the maximum reduction reaching 86.8% at 4% alginate,
6% mushroom powder, and pH 5, indicating the effectiveness
of the biosorbent across various conditions in Figure 2:a. The
effect of pH was stronger at pH 5 compared to pH 3 in Pb (II)
reduction, aligning with findings by [8], who observed increased
biosorption of Pb (II) at pH 5 due to increased negative charge
on the biosorbent surface.

The regression analysis of Pb (II) reduction is shown in Table
1 along with the respective probability values. The residual error
for the model was 1.889, the multiple R-squared was 0.7514, and
the adjusted R-squared was 0.5857. The F-statistic of the model
for Pb (II) reduction was 4.535 on 6 and 9 degrees of freedom
and the probability value of the model was 0.02164. Although
the model was significantly better than the default model, the
adjusted R-squared value showed that the model explained only
over half of the variations in the experiment. The analysis showed
that the mushroom had a significant positive effect on the reduc-
tion of Pb (II) with a p-value of 0.00276. This might mean that
the higher the percentage of mushroom in the beads, the better
the removal would be. Our findings are consistent with [13],
who found that increased mushroom biomass enhanced Pb (II)
biosorption because increasing the biomass dosage progressively
increases the adsorption sites for the metal ions [13].

However, the mentioned fact is entangled with the interaction
effect of mushrooms and alginate. The interaction graph was
depicted in Figure 2:b showing that 4% alginate inclusion in the

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Soe et al., 2024 Biosorption of Lead and Manganese from Water Using Alginate-Mushroom Beads

Table 1. Linear regression analysis of the effect of mushroom, alginate, and pH
on Pb reduction

Estimates t-value Pr(>|t|)

Intercept 82.1177 173.861 < 2e-16 ***

pH 1.0054 2.129 0.06216.

Alginate -0.5710 -1.209 0.25750

Mushroom 1.9265 4.079 0.00276 **

pH:Alginate 0.3775 0.799 0.44473

pH:Mushroom 0.2902 0.614 0.55416

Alginate:Mushroom -0.8914 -1.887 0.09173

Signif. codes: 0 ’***’ 0.001 ’**’ 0.01 ’*’ 0.05 ’.’ 0.1 ’ ’ 1.

Residual standard error: 1.889 on 9 degrees of freedom.

Multiple R-squared: 0.7514, Adjusted R-squared: 0.5857.

F-statistic: 4.535 on 6 and 9 DF, p-value: 0.0216

beads increased the chance of removing the metal at the higher
percentage of mushroom powder in the beads. The change in
pH effect in the range of 3 and 5 also showed a positive term for
reducing the Pb (II) ions with a p-value of 0.06216. It has been
known that pH has a strong influence on metal ion removal. The
appearance of the weak effect in this experiment might be due to
the fact that the range chosen was narrow and its effect showed a
low value.

The reduction of manganese
Similar to Pb (II) reduction, all combinations of pH, alginate,

and mushroom showed an average reduction of 59.2% of Mn
(II) from the mixture, with the maximum reduction of 65.9% ob-
served at 4% alginate, 6% mushroom powder, and pH 5 (Figure
2:c). The effect of pH was more pronounced at pH 5 than at
pH 3 in the removal of Mn (II), consistent with findings by [14]
regarding optimal biosorption at pH above 5. The mushroom
showed the most distinct effect on the reduction of Mn (II). In
general, the overall graph for both Pb (II) and Mn (II) reduction
experiment showed that the inclusion of mushroom increased the
percentage of the metals removed from the tested mixture (Figure
2:d).

Table 2 shows the regression analysis for the Mn (II) reduc-
tion from the mixture. The linear model had a residual error of
1.224. The multiple R-squared for the model was 0.9515, and
the adjusted R-squared was 0.909. F-statistic for the model was
22.4 on 7 and 8 degrees of freedom, and the model was signif-
icantly better than the default model with a p-value less than
0.001. The adjusted R-squared value indicated that the model
explained more than 90% of the variation of the data in the ex-
periment. The regression estimates for most of the variables and
their interaction effects showed significant terms. The estimate
for the mushroom effect on the Mn (II) reduction was distinct,

with a magnitude of 2.4624 and a P-value of 4.18e-05, and it
had a positive effect, meaning the more mushroom inclusion in
the bead might increase the reduction percentage in removing
Mn (II) from the mixture. [15] also revealed a marked increase
in the removal of Mn (II) by increasing of biosorbent mass of
Aspergillus spp..

However, this interpretation might not be complete because
there was an interaction term among all three variables with a
magnitude of -1.7290 and a P-value of 0.0005. The analysis
of interaction was visualized in Figure 2:d. While the effect of
mushroom on Mn (II) reduction increased at both pH values of 3
and 5 in 4% alginate, its effect showed a higher degree of slope
at pH 5. The mushroom effect in 6% alginate seemed lower than
in 4% at both pH values, although the effect at pH 5 showed a
higher reduction percentage.

Table 2. Linear regression analysis of the effect of mushroom, alginate, and pH
on Mn reduction

Estimates t-value Pr(>|t|)

Intercept 59.1987 193.511 5.69e-16 ***

pH 0.7100 2.321 0.048852 *

Alginate -1.1167 -3.650 0.006492 **

Mushroom 2.4624 8.049 4.18e-05 ***

pH:Alginate 1.1577 3.784 0.005355 **

pH:Mushroom 0.2896 0.947 0.371461

Alginate:Mushroom -1.5648 -5.115 0.000913 ***

pH:Alginate:Mushroom -1.7290 -5.652 0.000480 ***

Signif. codes: 0 ’***’ 0.001 ’**’ 0.01 ’*’ 0.05 ’.’ 0.1 ’ ’ .

Residual standard error: 1.224 on 8 degrees of freedom.

Multiple R-squared: 0.9515, Adjusted R-squared: 0.909.

F-statistic: 22.4 on 7 and 8 DF, p-value: 0.0001179

The Mn (II) reduction model appears to be more robust, with
a higher Adjusted R-squared and more significant predictors, es-
pecially the three-way interaction term. Mushroom is consistently
a significant positive predictor for both Mn (II) and Pb (II) re-
duction, suggesting its importance in promoting metal reduction.
These results prompt further investigation into the specific mech-
anisms by which mushroom, pH, alginate, and their interactions
influence Mn (II) and Pb (II) reduction. The significance of the
three-way interaction in the Mn (II) reduction model underscores
the complexity of these relationships, necessitating a nuanced
understanding of the variables involved. Replication studies with
a larger sample size and under varying environmental conditions,
such as temperature, initial concentration, and contact time, are
essential to validate these findings and enhance their reliability
and generalizability. While this study focused on pH, alginate,
and mushroom powder, exploring alternative explanations could

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Soe et al., 2024 Biosorption of Lead and Manganese from Water Using Alginate-Mushroom Beads

Figure 2. (a) The effect of mushroom, alginate, and pH on Pb (II) reduction. (b) Interaction effect between mushroom and alginate on Pb (II) reduction. (c) The

effect of mushroom, alginate, and pH on Mn reduction. (d) Interaction effect between mushroom and alginate on Mn (II) reduction.

strengthen future analysis. Factors like organic matter or other
ions in water might interact with these variables, affecting ad-
sorption. Metal ion properties, such as oxidation state, could
also interact with treatment variables. Investigating these could
enhance our understanding and improve biosorption material
design.

FTIR characterization
The characteristic spectra of alginate and mushroom bead

exhibit several notable features: a broad band centered at approx-
imately 3313 cm-1 corresponding to hydroxyl group stretching,
low-intensity bands around 2926 cm-1 attributed to CH2 groups,
a distinct peak at 2364 cm-1 representing stretching of the (CN)
group, a peak at 1612 cm-1 indicating C=O stretching vibration,
peaks at 1533 cm-1 and 1450 cm-1 representing asymmetric and

symmetric stretching modes, respectively, of carboxylate salt
groups (-COONa), and various vibrations between 11381093
cm-1 associated with glycoside bonds in the polysaccharide (C-
O-C stretching). FTIR spectra before and after adsorption are
shown in Figure 3 and Table 3.

After the adsorption of Pb (II) ions on a mixture of algi-
nate and mushroom bead, notable spectral changes are observed:
There is a shift of nearly 20 cm-1 towards lower wavenumbers
in the peak assigned to C-H stretching vibration. The peak asso-
ciated with O-H stretching mode at over 3300 cm-1 disappears.
Two peaks related to C=O stretching vibration and C=C stretch-
ing mode shift towards higher wavenumbers by approximately
20 cm-1. The C=N vibration mode experiences a downward shift
of 10 cm-1. A new peak is observed at 1344 cm-1, attributed to
C-H bending. Peaks at 1081 cm-1 and 1045 cm-1 correspond

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Soe et al., 2024 Biosorption of Lead and Manganese from Water Using Alginate-Mushroom Beads

Table 3. Position of the main peaks in FTIR spectra of sodium alginate and mushroom bead before adsorption, after adsorption of Pb (II), and Mn (II)

Wave length before adsorption (cm−1)
Wave length after adsorption (cm−1)

Assignment
Pb (II) Mn (II)

3313 3435 O-H stretching

2926 2902 2924 asymmetric CH3 and CH2 stretching

2364 2394 (CN) stretching

1612 1637 1639 C=O stretching

1533 1550 C=N stretching

1450 1423 1385 C-H bending

1138 1344 1269 C-N stretching

1093 1081 1153 C-N stretching

756 1045 1045 C-H bending

657 1022 893 C-metal stretching

935 819

to C-O stretching vibrations in carbohydrates and polysaccha-
rides, potentially indicating changes due to metal-ion interactions.
Furthermore, the peak at 1022 cm-1 could be associated with C-
O or C-C stretching vibrations in the context of carbohydrates
or polysaccharides, suggesting possible alterations post-Pb (II)
adsorption.

After the adsorption of Mn (II) ions on a mixture of algi-
nate and mushroom bead, distinct changes are observed in the
spectrum. The O-H stretching vibration peak shifts to a nearly
10 cm-1 higher wavelength compared to the pure bead spectrum.
However, the C-H stretching mode peak remains at the same
wavelength as in the pure bead spectrum. The stretching mode
peak of the (CN) group disappears. The C-H bending mode
experiences a significant shift of 60 cm-1 to lower wavelengths
compared to the pure bead IR spectrum. Similarly, peaks related
to C-O stretching, C-N stretching, and C-H bending vibration
modes also shift to higher wavelengths. These shifts or alterations
in the peaks post-Mn (II) adsorption likely signify interactions be-
tween Mn (II) ions and the functional groups present in alginate
and mushrooms.

The infrared (IR) spectra of alginate and mushroom beads,
along with the alterations observed following the adsorption
of Pb (II) and Mn (II) ions onto the mixture of alginate and
mushroom beads, offer insights into changes in the molecular
composition induced by metal-ion interactions. The observed
shifts and variations in peak intensities post-metal ion adsorption
(Pb (II) and Mn (II)) on the alginate and mushroom bead mixture
imply modifications in the bead’s molecular structure due to
interactions with the metal ions. These modifications potentially
denote the coordination of metal ions with specific functional
groups present in alginate and mushrooms. Such alterations
provide crucial insights into the adsorption mechanism and the

nature of interactions between metal ions and the components of
the beads. [1; 2; 12].

Various methods for removing heavy metals, including precip-
itation, filtration, ion exchange, carbon adsorption, evaporation,
membrane technology, reverse osmosis pre-concentration, redox
reactions, electrowinning, chelation, wastewater coagulation, and
electrochemical processes, have been demonstrated to be inef-
fectual according to studies by Ali et al. (2019) and Taha et
al. (2023) [16; 17]. Under metal stress, a notable decline in
protein and carbohydrate content was observed, as evidenced
by a reduction in the intensity of absorption bands, particularly
within the 1800 to 800 cm-1 regions. This region is known to
be characteristic of proteins and carbohydrates, as highlighted in
studies by Dumas and Miller (2003), Walkers et al. (2004), and
Yee et al. (2004) [18; 19; 20]. Future research should investigate
the impact of contact time and explore pre-treatment methods for
the mushroom powder to further optimize lead and manganese
removal efficiency.

Comparison of different adsorbents for Pb (II) and Mn (II) removal
efficiency

The removal efficiency of Pb and Mn by various adsorbents
in recent studies is summarized in Table 4. The alginate + mush-
room powder beads in this work exhibited a Pb removal efficiency
of 86.8% and a Mn removal efficiency of 65.9%. While these
results demonstrate the competitive nature of the alginate +mush-
room powder beads in terms of Pb removal efficiency, they also
indicate a slightly lower efficiency for Mn removal compared to
some other adsorbents. Further optimization efforts could poten-
tially lead to an enhancement in the effectiveness of the beads,
thereby improving their performance in removing Pb and Mn
from water.

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Soe et al., 2024 Biosorption of Lead and Manganese from Water Using Alginate-Mushroom Beads

Figure 3. FTIR spectrum of (A) pure beads, (B) biomass after Pb (II) adsorption,

and (C) biomass after Mn (II) adsorption

Practical implications
The high reduction percentages observed for both lead (Pb)

and manganese (Mn) highlight the potential of these biosorbent
materials in treating contaminated water sources. Implement-
ing such biosorption techniques could offer a cost-effective and
environmentally friendly approach to reducing heavy metal pol-
lution in water bodies. Furthermore, understanding the factors
that influence the efficiency of these biosorbents, such as pH,
alginate, and mushroom powder concentrations, can inform the
design of optimized remediation strategies tailored to specific
environmental conditions. This research provides a foundation
for further studies and the development of practical applications
for the sustainable management of heavy metal contamination in
aquatic environments.

Conclusions
The analyses of Mn (II) and Pb (II) reduction dynamics reveal

relationships among key variables in biological metal reduction
processes. In Mn (II) reduction, the model demonstrates a good
fit (Adjusted R-squared: 0.909), emphasizing the role of mush-
room in promoting Mn (II) reduction. The negative impact of
alginate hints at potential inhibitory effects, while the three-way
interaction (pH, alginate, and mushroom) underscores the com-
plexity of their contributions. Further research should explore
the biochemical pathways underlying these effects, enhancing
our understanding of Mn (II) reduction. In Pb (II) reduction, the
model, though statistically significant (F-statistic: 4.535, p-value:

Table 4. Comparison of Pb and Mn removal efficiency (RE) of different adsor-
bents.

Biosorbent RE (%) Pb Mn

Aguapé 63.00 [21]

Moringa oleifera leaves 97.00 [22]

Azadirachta indica (neem leaves) 93.50 [23]

raw tea factory waste 94.07 [24]

modified tea factory waste 97.73 [24]

sugarcane bagasse 89.31 [25]

Milled olive stones 94.50 [26]

Dried Biomass Microalgae Aphanothece sp 99.90 [27]

waste fungal biomass 87.00 [28]

waste fungal biomass with pre-treatment 93.00 [28]

Moringa oleifera seed 92.00 [29]

modified sugarcane bagasse biochar 65.80 [30]

date palm biochar 73.20 [31]

polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate 72.34 [32]

Alginate + mushroom powder beads 86.80 65.90 This work

0.02164), exhibits a slightly lower goodness of fit (Adjusted R-
squared: 0.5857). Mushroom remains a significant positive pre-
dictor, aligning with its role in Mn (II) reduction. The marginal
significance of pH and the non-significant effect of alginate sug-
gest a nuanced relationship with Pb (II) reduction. FTIR results
suggested carboxyl, hydroxyl, and amide were the potential func-
tional groups that may be involved in the Mn (II) biosorption. In
conclusion, the mixture of mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) and
alginate beads has been more effective for the removal of Pb (II)
than Mn (II) from the aqueous solution. Future research could
focus on replicating the study with larger sample sizes and in
different environmental conditions to validate the findings. Addi-
tionally, exploring the long-term stability and reusability of the
beads in real-world applications would provide valuable insights
into their practicality for environmental remediation. Moreover,
to further elucidate the mechanisms underlying the observed
effects of mushroom, pH, and alginate interactions on metal re-
duction, future investigations could employ advanced analytical
techniques, such as surface characterization or scanning electron
microscopy.

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	Abstract
	Introduction
	Materials and Methods
	Instrumentation
	Chemicals and Reagents
	Collection and Preparation of Mushroom Powders
	Preparation of Bead Formation
	Preparation of Lead (II) and Manganese (II) Solutions
	pH Adjustment
	Biosorption Experiments
	FTIR Characterization
	Statistical Analysis

	Results and discussions
	The reduction of lead
	The reduction of manganese
	FTIR characterization
	Comparison of different adsorbents for Pb (II) and Mn (II) removal efficiency
	Practical implications
	Conclusions


