Mass and a method of preparing same of living cells of organisms for adsorbing metal ions from a physiological solution, and employment of the mass for enriching metals

A method specifically for removing metal ions contained in an aqueous solution, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a treating solution which is physiologically compatible with living cells;
• preparing a mass of single cell microorganisms, each having a cell wall with a membrane supported thereby, the mass weighing approximately 20% of the physiologically compatible solution;
• suspending the mass of cells in the solution;
• exposing the treating solution with the mass of cells suspended therein to an electric field having an intensity in the range of 1 to 20 KV/CM for a period of time sufficient to increase the porosity of the cell membranes wherein the increased porosity allows molecules within the cells and having diameters in the range of 2 to 50 Angstrom units to pass through the cell walls and into the treating solution;
• limiting the exposure to a level which permits regeneration of the membranes after termination of the exposure;
• removing the cells from the treating solution;
• adsorbing the metal ions in the aqueous solution onto the cells by suspending the cells in the aqueous solution;
• and
• removing the adsorbed metals from the aqueous solution by removing suspended cells therefrom, the aqueous solution having the desired metal ions include uranium ions, wherein the microorganisms are selected from the group consisting of chlorella algae, dunalliela algae, sea water, bacteria grown in nitrate and phosphate waste waters, wherein the exposure step comprises pulsing the treating solution four times at an intensity of about 10 KV/CM with a pulse duration of about 10 .mu.sec, wherein the removing step comprises centrifuging the solution to separate the microorganisms from the solution and wherein the adsorbing step comprises suspending the microorganisms.