Removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions by complexation with DNA and precipitation with cationic surfactant

Mercury is well known to be harmful for environment and for humans; therefore purification from heavy metal ions and, in particular, mercury pollutions is presently an important research direction of environmental science. In this report we propose a method for mercury removal from aqueous solutions, which is based on a high affinity of mercury ion to nucleic acids and formation of polymer–colloidal complexes between DNA–Hg complex and cationic surfactant. It is demonstrated that using this two-step mercury removal procedure one can remove over 95% of mercury contents from solutions in a broad range of mercury concentrations and solution pHs.