Vermiculite as a potential functional additive for water treatment bioreactors inhibiting toxic action of heavy metal cations upsetting the microbial balance

A new adsorbent that combines mineral vermiculite with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was used for Cd2+ removal. The influence of vermiculite presence on the toxic effects of Cd2+ to Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast was evaluated as a function of the microorganisms' respiratory activity (CO2 production). The Cd2+ toxicity increased with prolonged exposure time reaching the LC50 value of 857 and 489 mg L−1 after 30 and 120 min, respectively. The yeast managed to bioaccumulate 25.0 ± 0.6 mg g−1 of Cd2+ at the initial Cd2+ concentration of 741.9 mg L−1; the maximum Cd2+ adsorption capacity of vermiculite reached 25 ± 5 mg g−1. The addition of the mineral decreased the cations toxic effect; the LC20 value in vermiculite absence attained approximately 200 mg L−1 after 30 min and decreased to 80 mg L−1 after 2 h, while in the bio-mineral system it was at the level of 435 ± 50 mg L−1 without a significant change in time. The mineral provided a superior living environment for the yeast by removing part of the cations, releasing essential microelements and providing a protective, clay hutch-like habitat for the cells.