Abstract:
In the palm oil processing factory, many macro-mushrooms of various sizes, shapes
and colors grow quickly in empty fruit bunches. The potential of fungal biomass as a
biosorbent is known for its ability to adsorb heavy metals. Conditioning of biomass
used as a medium for adsorbing heavy metals is carried out by activation using
alkaline solution (NaOH). One alternative for the separation of heavy metals from
industrial waste that is effective, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly with
biosorption processes, where the process uses microorganisms as biosorbents of heavy
metals such as algae, fungi, and bacteria. The research objectives are: 1) macroscopic
and microscopic identifying fungi that grow in empty fruit bunches. 2) Characterization
of fungi using FTIR analysis. 3) Calculate the efficiency and adsorption capacity by
fungi under conditions of activation using NaOH with variations in concentration and
not activated on Cr (VI) metals. The results of macroscopic and microscopic
identification of fungi that grow on empty fruit bunches is the fungus Coprinus
comatus. After analysis using the fungus Coprinus comatus contains functional groups
such as hydroxyl, alkenes, carboxylates, esters, amines and alkaline which qualify as
biosorbents. Furthermore, the biosorbent is activated using NaOH with a concentration
variation of 0.3 N; 0.5 N and 0.7 N and without activation. The best adsorption of Cr (VI)
metal in the condition without activation. The highest efficiency values are 48.36% and
11.42 mg / gr adsorption capacity by the Coprinus comatus fungus. Biological waste
treatment that uses fungi as biosorbents to adsorb heavy metals has the potential to be
developed.
