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Exposure to heavy metal contaminated water has adverse effects on both environmental and human health. Conventional methods of heavy metal removal such as ion exchange and chemical precipitation are costly and inefficient due to the use of expensive nonrenewable resources in the treatment process.

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Meanwhile, algal biosorption is an emerging alternative to current processes of heavy metal treatment, stemming from its low cost and environmentally friendly process. Our research focuses on system designs that can effectively integrate local algae, provided by the Maryland AEES, in the removal of heavy metal.