Continuous removal of copper, magnesium, and nickel from industrial wastewater utilizing the natural product yersiniabactin immobilized within a packed-bed column

Yersiniabactin, a nonribosomal peptide-polyketide complex natural product with a strong affinity for metals, was immobilized to a polymeric XAD16 resin (forming Ybt-XAD) and used as packing for a successive series of columns designed for scaled removal of Cu²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ni²⁺ from industrial wastewater. Ybt-XAD showed regenerative capacity for two cycles in metal removal and a relatively higher degree of selective for copper within the largest column (5 × 50 cm). System pH variation influenced metal removal and the potential for metal recovery (or stripping) from the column setup. The system was also characterized using Thomas and dose response models for the 2.5 × 10 cm column, providing valuable information on the resin capacity of Cu²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ni²⁺ to inform future column designs for enhanced metal removal.