Objective To explore the feasibility of application of a new biocatalytic process to the rehabilitation of wastewaters contaminated with heavy metal.The proposed process utilizes a totally new and novel concept in the continuous removal of waste metals as part of downstream processing. Basically, soluble metals are converted to insoluble metal phosphates by a biocatalytic which operates easily at low metal concentrations unmanageable by classical precipitation, preliminary work has shown e.g. that > 98% removal of metal ion (americium) has been achieved at an input concentration of 2.6 ppb.The process requires relatively small amounts of off-site products, non-addition of further toxic contaminants, and may utilize other wastes such as waste carbon (organic) feedstock for biomass production and phosphate to produce the phosphate surface of the operating microbial cells while waste organophosphates may be utilized as the phosphate donor for enzymically-catalysed phosphate ligand production for metal precipitation. Fields of science engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processeswastewater treatment processesmedical and health sciencesclinical medicinephysiotherapynatural scienceschemical sciencescatalysisbiocatalysisagricultural sciencesagricultural biotechnologybiomass Programme(s) FP3-ENV 1C - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of the environment, 1990-1994 Topic(s) 0202 - Technologies for protecting and rehabilitating the environment Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Universidad de Salamanca EU contribution No data Address Plaza de la Merced 37008 Salamanca Spain See on map Total cost No data