Application of Taguchi method for optimizing the process parameters for the removal of copper and nickel by growing Aspergillus sp.

In the present study, the process parameters affecting biosorption were optimized by adopting Analysis of Mean (ANOM) approach for maximizing the percentage removal of copper and nickel by growing Aspergillus sp. in batch reactor using Taguchi method. The process parameters include inoculum concentration, initial metal concentration, pH and temperature. The optimized conditions were found to be 15% v/v inoculum concentration, 50 mg l −1 concentration of copper/nickel, pH 4 and temperature 30 °C. The percentage contribution of each process parameter on the removal of copper/nickel determined using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) method followed the order: concentration of copper/nickel>inoculum concentration>pH>temperature. The percentage removal of copper and nickel realized in the confirmatory experiments carried out at optimized conditions was found to be higher than that obtained in all the test runs of Taguchi design, thereby supporting the accuracy of optimization of process parameters under the given set of experimental conditions.