Removal of As(V) and As(III) by reclaimed iron-oxide coated sands

This paper aims at the feasibility of arsenate and arsenite removal by reclaimed iron-oxide coated sands (IOCS). Batch experiments were performed to examine the adsorption isotherm and removal performance of arsenic systems by using the IOCS. The results show that the pH(zpc) of IOCS was about 7.0 +/- 0.4, favoring the adsorption of As(V) of anion form onto the IOCS surface. As the adsorbent dosage and initial arsenic concentration were fixed, both the As(V) and As(III) removals decrease with increasing initial solution pH. Under the same initial solution pH and adsorbent dosage, the removal efficiencies of total arsenic (As(V) and As(III)) were in the order as follows: As(V)>As(V)+As(III)>As(III). Moreover, adsorption isotherms of As(V) and As(III) fit the Langmuir model satisfactorily for the four different initial pH conditions as well as for the studied range of initial arsenic concentrations. It is concluded that the reclaimed IOCS can be considered as a feasible and economical adsorbent for arsenic removal.     

Adsorption and removal of arsenic(V) from drinking water by aluminum-loaded Shirasu-zeolite

The demand for effective and inexpensive adsorbents is to increase in response to the widespread recognition of the deleterious health effects of arsenic exposure through drinking water. A novel adsorbent, aluminum-loaded Shirasu-zeolite P1 (Al-SZP1), was prepared and employed for the adsorption and removal of arsenic(V) (As(V)) ion from aqueous system. The process of adsorption follows first-order kinetics and the adsorption behavior is fitted with a Freundlich isotherm. The adsorption of As(V) is slightly dependent on the initial pH over a wide range (3-10). Al-SZP1 was found with a high As(V) adsorption ability, equivalent to that of activated alumina, and seems to be especially suitable for removal of As(V) in low concentration. The addition of arsenite, chloride, nitrate, sulfate, chromate, and acetate ions hardly affected the As(V) adsorption, whereas the coexisting phosphate greatly interfered with the adsorption. The adsorption mechanism is supposed as a ligand-exchange process between As(V) ions and the hydroxide groups present on the surface of Al-SZP1. The adsorbed As(V) ions were desorbed effectively by a 40 mM NaOH solution. Continuous operation was demonstrated in a column packed with Al-SZP1. The feasibility of this technique to practical utilization was also assessed by adsorption/desorption multiple cycles with in situ desorption/regeneration operation.     

Adsorption characteristics of As(III) from aqueous solution on iron oxide coated cement (IOCC)

Contamination of potable groundwater with arsenic is a serious health hazard, which calls for proper treatment before its use as drinking water. The objective of the present study is to assess the effectiveness of iron oxide coated cement (IOCC) for As(III) adsorption from aqueous solution. Batch studies were conducted to study As(III) adsorption onto IOCC at ambient temperature as a function of adsorbent dose, pH, contact time, initial arsenic concentration and temperature. Kinetics reveal that the uptake of As(III) ion is very rapid and most of fixation occurs within the first 20 min of contact. The pseudo-second order rate equation successfully described the adsorption kinetics. Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson (R-P), and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) models were used to describe the adsorption isotherms at different initial As(III) concentrations and at 30 g l(-1) fixed adsorbent dose. The maximum adsorption capacity of IOCC for As(III) determined from the Langmuir isotherm was 0.69 mg g(-1). The mean free energy of adsorption (E) calculated from the D-R isotherm was found to be 2.86 kJ mol(-1) which suggests physisorption. Thermodynamic parameters indicate an exothermic nature of adsorption and a spontaneous and favourable process. The results suggest that IOCC can be suitably used for As(III) removal from aqueous solutions.     

A laboratory study for the treatment of arsenic, iron, and manganese bearing ground water using Fe(3+) impregnated activated carbon: effects of shaking time, pH and temperature

This paper deals with the experimental investigation related to removal of arsenic from a simulated contaminated ground water by the adsorption onto Fe(3+) impregnated granular activated carbon (GAC-Fe) in presence of Fe(2+), Fe(3+), and Mn(2+). Similar study has also been done with granular activated carbon (GAC) for comparison. The effects of shaking time, pH, and temperature on the percentage removal of As(T), As(III), As(V), Fe(2+), Fe(3+), and Mn have been discussed. The shaking time for optimum removal of arsenic species has been noted as 8h for GAC-Fe and 12h for GAC, respectively. As(T) removal was less affected by the change in pH within the pH range of 2-11. Maximum removal of As(V) and As(III) was observed in the pH range of 5-7 and 9-11, respectively, for both the adsorbents. Under the experimental conditions at 30 degrees C, the optimum removal of As(T), As(III), As(V), Fe, and Mn are 95.5%, 93%, 98%, 100%, and 41%, respectively, when GAC-Fe is used. For GAC these values are 56%, 41%, 71%, 99%, and 98%. The adsorbent dose (AD) and its particle size (PS) for both GAC and GAC-Fe were 30 g/l and 125-150 mum, respectively. The initial arsenic concentration in the synthetic water sample was 200 ppb.     

Adsorptive removal of As(V) and As(III) from water by a Zr(IV)-loaded orange waste gel

Orange waste, produced during juicing has been loaded with zirconium(IV) so as to examine its adsorption behavior for both As(V) and As(III) from an aquatic environment. Immobilization of zirconium onto the orange waste creates a very good adsorbent for arsenic. Adsorption kinetics of As(V) at different concentrations are well described in terms of pseudo-second-order rate equation with respect to adsorption capacity and correlation coefficients. Arsenate was strongly adsorbed in the pH range from 2 to 6, while arsenite was strongly adsorbed between pH 9 and 10. Moreover, equimolar (0.27 mM) addition of other anionic species such as chloride, carbonate, and sulfate had no influence on the adsorption of arsenate and arsenite. The maximum adsorption capacity of the Zr(IV)-loaded SOW gel was evaluated as 88 mg/g and 130 mg/g for As(V) and As(III), respectively. Column adsorption tests suggested that complete removal of arsenic was achievable at up to 120 Bed Volumes (BV) for As(V) and 8 0BV for As(III). Elution of both arsenate and arsenite was accomplished using 1 M NaOH without any leakage of the loaded zirconium. Thus this efficient and abundant bio-waste could be successfully employed for the remediation of an aquatic environment polluted with arsenic.     

An effective adsorbent developed from municipal solid waste and coal co-combustion ash for As(V) removal from aqueous solution

A new adsorbent was developed from waste ash resulting from municipal solid waste and coal co-combustion power plant. The ash was firstly subjected to hydrothermal treatment for zeolite synthesis, and then modified with iron(II) ions by agitation (ISZ) or ultrasonic (UISZ) treatment. The effect of operating factors such as pH, contact time, initial As(V) concentration and adsorbent dosage was investigated and the optimum operating conditions were established. The adsorption capacity for As(V) onto UISZ and ISZ were 13.04 and 5.37 mg g(-1), respectively. The adsorption isotherm data could be well described by Langmuir isotherm model. The optimum initial pH values for As(V) removal were 2.5 and 2.5-10.0 by ISZ and UISZ, respectively. The results indicated that ultrasound treatment scattered the particles of the adsorbent uniformly, which was in favor of impregnating iron ions into pores. Leaching of hazardous elements from the used adsorbents was very low. Accordingly, it is believed that the adsorbents developed in this study are environmentally acceptable and industrially applicable for utilization in arsenic-containing wastewater treatment.     

Optimization using central composite design (CCD) for the biosorption of Cr(VI) ions by cross linked chitosan carbonized rice husk (CCACR)

The presence of heavy metals in aqueous streams arising from the discharge of industrial effluents into water bodies is one of the most important environmental issues because of their toxic nature and its removal is highly essential. This paper deals with the adsorption studies for the removal of hexavalent chromium ions from aqueous solutions using Schiff based chitosan activated carbonized rice husk composites as adsorbent. The activation and surface properties of the adsorbent were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Brauner Emmet and Teller (BET) analyzer. Central Composite Design (CCD) was used to optimize the process variables such as initial metal ion concentration, adsorbent dosage and pH of the solution on the performance of percentage removal and adsorption capacity. The experimental data were validated with different isotherms and kinetic models to evaluate the solute interaction behavior and nature of adsorption.     

Arsenic adsorption by polyvinyl pyrrolidone K25 coated cassava peel carbon from aqueous solution

Sorption of arsenic from aqueous solution was carried out using polyvinyl pyrrolidone K25 coated cassava peel carbon (PVPCC). Batch experiments were conducted to determine the effect of contact time, initial concentration, pH and desorption. Batch sorption data's were fitted to Lagergren kinetic studies. Column studies were also conducted using PVPCC as adsorbent. The optimized flow rate of 2.5 mL min(-1) and bed height 10 cm were used to determine the effect of metal ion concentration on removal of As(V). BDST model was applied to calculate the adsorption capacity (N(0)) of column. The N(0) value of 2.59 x 10(-5), 4.21 x 10(-5), 4.05 x 10(-5), 4.26 x 10(-5) and 3.2 x 10(-5) mg g(-1) were obtained for 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mg L(-1) of As(V), respectively. The batch sorption proved to be more efficient than the column sorption. The sorption of As(V) and the nature of the adsorbent was examined by Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, respectively.     

Removal of phosphate species from solution by adsorption onto calcite used as natural adsorbent

Phosphates are very important basic materials in agricultural and other industrial applications. Phosphorus is often present in low concentrations in wastewater, almost solely in the form of organic and inorganic phosphates (ortho- and poly-phosphates). The removal of phosphates from surface waters is generally necessary to avoid problems, such as eutrophication, particularly near urban areas. The usual methods of treatment are either biological or physicochemical by sedimentation. This paper studies the removal of phosphate species by adsorption onto calcite used as natural adsorbent. The phosphate solutions were prepared artificially by adding certain quantities of K2HPO4 in water. The effect of equilibrium pH, phosphate/mineral ratio and contact time was studied. The results showed that pH plays an important role in the removal of phosphate species from solution, with removal being more efficient in the basic pH region. The experimental results also show that adsorption is also efficient for high ratios phosphate/adsorbent. Finally, the adsorption process is time dependent. Based on the experimental results a possible mechanism of phosphate removal onto calcite surface is proposed. As a general conclusion, phosphate species seem to be efficiently removed from solutions using calcite as natural adsorbent. In addition, the adsorption product can be used as fertilizer for acid soils.     

Studies on the removal of arsenic (III) from water by a novel hybrid material

The present work provides a method for removal of the arsenic (III) from water. An ion-exchanger hybrid material zirconium (IV) oxide-ethanolamine (ZrO-EA) is synthesized and characterized which is subsequently used for the removal of selective arsenic (III) from water containing 10,50,100 mg/L of arsenic (III) solution. The probable practical application for arsenic removal from water by this material has also been studied. The various parameters affecting the removal process like initial concentration of As (III), adsorbent dose, contact time, temperature, ionic strength, and pH are investigated. From the data of results, it is indicated that, the adsorbent dose of 0.7 mg/L, contact time 50 min after which the adsorption process comes to equilibrium, temperature (25 ± 2), solution pH (5-7), which are the optimum conditions for adsorption. The typical adsorption isotherms are calculated to know the suitability of the process. The column studies showed 98% recovery of arsenic from water especially at low concentration of arsenic in water samples.     

Effects of adsorbent dose, its particle size and initial arsenic concentration on the removal of arsenic, iron and manganese from simulated ground water by Fe3+ impregnated activated carbon

This paper presents the observations of the study on arsenic removal from a contaminated ground water (simulated) by adsorption onto Fe³⁺ impregnated granular activated carbon (GAC-Fe). Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺ and Mn²⁺ have also been considered along with arsenic species in the water sample. Similar study has also been done with untreated granular activated carbon (GAC) for comparison. The effects of adsorbent dose, particle size of adsorbent and initial arsenic concentration on the removal of As(T), As(III), As(V), Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺ and Mn²⁺ have been discussed. Under the experimental conditions, the optimum adsorbent doses for GAC-Fe and GAC have been found to be 8 g/l and 24 g/l, respectively with an agitation time of 15 h. Particle size of the adsorbents (both GAC and GAC-Fe) has shown negligible effect on the removal of arsenic and Fe species. However, for Mn removal the effect of adsorbent particle size is comparatively more. Percentage removal of As(T), As(V) and As(III) increase with the decrease in initial arsenic concentration (As₀). However, the increase in percentage removal of all the arsenic species with decrease in As₀ are less for higher value of As₀ (3000–500 ppb) than those of the lower value of As₀ (500–10 ppb). The % removal of As(T), As(III), As(V), Fe, and Mn were 95%, 92.4%, 97.6%, 99% and 41.2%, respectively when 8 g/l GAC-Fe was used at the As₀ value of 200 ppb. However, for GAC these values were 55.5%, 44%, 71%, 98% and 97%. The pH and temperature of the study were 7 ± 0.1 and 30 ± 1 °C, respectively.     

Combined use of photocatalyst and adsorbent for the removal of inorganic arsenic(III) and organoarsenic compounds from aqueous media

A novel method for the removal of inorganic arsenic(III) (As(III)), monomethylarsonate (MMA), and dimethylarsinate (DMA) from aqueous media, was proposed and investigated. This method involves the combined use of TiO₂-photocatalyst and an adsorbent, which has a high ability of As(V) adsorption, under photo-irradiation. When an aqueous solution of As(III) was stirred and irradiated by sunlight or xenon lamp in the presence of TiO₂ suspension, the oxidation of As(III) into As(V) was effectively attained. By use of the same photocatalytic reaction, MMA and DMA were also degraded into As(V), while the total organic carbon (TOC) in the aqueous phase was decreased. When an aqueous solution of As(III) was stirred with a mixed suspension of TiO₂ and an adsorbent for As(V) (activated alumina) under sunlight irradiation, the arsenic removal reached 89% after 24 h. By use of the same photocatalyst–adsorbent system, 98% of MMA and 97% of DMA were removed. The mechanism of the removal of arsenic species by the photocatalyst–adsorbent system was discussed.     

Arsenic removal from an aqueous solution by modified A. niger biomass: batch kinetic and isotherm studies

Batch studies were conducted to examine the adsorption kinetics and adsorption capacity of iron oxide-coated biomass (IOCB) for As(III) and As(V). The optimum pH for As(V) and As(III) removal was found to be 6. The equilibrium time for removal of arsenic was found to be approximately 7 h. The adsorption of As(V) on IOCB was rapid compared to that of As(III) adsorption. An increase in temperature (from 5 to 30 °C) was found to increase As(III) removal, whereas in the case of As(V), the removal increased with temperature from 5 to 10 °C, but remained relatively constant thereafter up to 30 °C. The pseudo-second order rate equation was found to describe better the kinetics of arsenic adsorption than other equations. The isotherm data for As(V) removal fitted better with the Langmuir equation compared with other tested models and the isotherm data for As(III) removal fitted better with Redlich–Peterson equation than other tested models. Iron oxide-coated fungal biomass (A. niger) was found to be efficient in removing arsenic from an aqueous solution.     

Synthesised magnetic nanoparticles coated zeolite (MNCZ) for the removal of arsenic (As) from aqueous solution

A novel adsorbent, magnetic nanoparticle (γ-Fe₂O₃)-coated zeolite (MNCZ), was prepared for the removal of arsenic (As) ions from aqueous solution. The influence of different sorption parameters, that is, contact time, acidic reaction (pH) and initial arsenic concentration were studied using batch equilibrium techniques. The results obtained showed that the MNCZ was effective for the removal of As from aqueous solution, and the percentage removal of As could reach over 95.6% at a pH value of 2.5 within 15?min. Moreover, the removal of As depended on the initial concentration of As. For the regeneration of MNCZ material, 0.1?M NaOH was suitable for the desorption of As (70% after 15?min), and the regenerated material showed an adsorption capacity of 93.95% within five cycles. We concluded that MNCZ presents a reusable adsorbent for a fast, convenient and highly efficient removal of As from aqueous solution.     

The effect of nanocrystalline magnetite size on arsenic removal

Higher environmental standards have made the removal of arsenic from water an important problem for environmental engineering. Iron oxide is a particularly interesting sorbent to consider for this application. Its magnetic properties allow relatively routine dispersal and recovery of the adsorbent into and from groundwater or industrial processing facilities; in addition, iron oxide has strong and specific interactions with both As(III) and As(V). Finally, this material can be produced with nanoscale dimensions, which enhance both its capacity and removal. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential arsenic adsorption by nanoscale iron oxides, specifically magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles. We focus on the effect of Fe₃O₄ particle size on the adsorption and desorption behavior of As(III) and As(V). The results show that the nanoparticle size has a dramatic effect on the adsorption and desorption of arsenic. As particle size is decreased from 300 to 12 nm the adsorption capacities for both As(III) and As(V) increase nearly 200 times. Interestingly, such an increase is more than expected from simple considerations of surface area and suggests that nanoscale iron oxide materials sorb arsenic through different means than bulk systems. The desorption process, however, exhibits some hysteresis with the effect becoming more pronounced with small nanoparticles. This hysteresis most likely results from a higher arsenic affinity for Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. This work suggests that Fe₃O₄ nanocrystals and magnetic separations offer a promising method for arsenic removal.     

Biosorption of palladium(II) from aqueous solution by moss (Racomitrium lanuginosum) biomass: equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic studies

Arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)) removal by direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) were investigated with self-made polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes in the present work. Permeability and ion rejection efficiency of the membrane were tested before the arsenic removal experiments. A maximum permeate flux 20.90 kg/m(2)h was obtained, and due to the hydrophobic property, the PVDF membrane had high rejection of inorganic anions and cations which was independent of the solution pH and the temperature. The experimental results indicated that DCMD process had higher removal efficiency of arsenic than pressure-driven membrane processes, especially for high-concentration arsenic and arsenite removal. The experimental results indicated that the permeate As(III) and As(V) were under the maximum contaminant limit (10 microg/L) until the feed As(III) and As(V) achieved 40 and 2000 mg/L, respectively. The 250 h simultaneous DCMD performance of 0.5mg/L As(III) and As(V) solution was carried out, respectively. The permeate arsenic was not detected during the process which showed the PVDF membrane had stable arsenic removal efficiency. Membrane morphology changed slightly after the experiments, however, the permeability and the ion rejection of the membrane did not change.     

Fabrication, characterization, and application of a composite adsorbent for simultaneous removal of arsenic and fluoride

Coexisting arsenic (As) and fluoride (F) in groundwater poses severe health risks worldwide. Highly efficient simultaneous removal of As and F is therefore of great urgency and high priority. The purpose of this study was to fabricate a novel composite adsorbent and explore the mechanism for concurrent removal of As(V) and F at the molecular level. This bifunctional adsorbent with titanium and lanthanum oxides impregnated on granular activated carbon (TLAC) exhibits a pronounced As(V) and F adsorption capacity over commercially available iron- and aluminum-based adsorbents for synthetic and real contaminated groundwater samples. Synchrotron-based X-ray microfluorescence analysis demonstrates that La and Ti were homogeneously distributed on TLAC. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopic results suggest that As(V) formed bidentate binuclear surface complex as evidenced by an averaged Ti-As bond distance of 3.34 ? in the presence of F. Adsorption tests and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis indicate that F was selectively adsorbed on lanthanum oxides. The surface configurations constrained with the spectroscopic results were formulated in the charge distribution multisite complexation model to describe the competitive adsorption behaviors of As(V) and F. The results of this study indicate that TLAC could be used as an effective adsorbent for simultaneous removal of As(V) and F.     

Surface complexation modeling of the removal of arsenic from ion-exchange waste brines with ferric chloride

Brine disposal is a serious challenge of arsenic (V) removal from drinking water using ion-exchange (IX). Although arsenic removal with ferric chloride (FeCl(3)) from drinking waters is well documented, the application of FeCl(3) to remove arsenic (V) from brines has not been thoroughly investigated. In contrast to drinking water, IX brines contain high ionic strength, high alkalinity, and high arsenic concentrations; these factors are known to influence arsenic removal by FeCl(3). Surface complexation modeling and experimental coagulation tests were performed to investigate the influence of ionic strength, pH, Fe/As molar ratios, and alkalinity on the removal of arsenic from IX brines. The model prediction was in good agreement with the experimental data. Optimum pH range was found to be between 4.5 and 6.5. The arsenic removal efficiency slightly improved with higher ionic strength. The Fe/As ratios needed to treat brines were significantly lower than those used to treat drinking waters. For arsenic (V) concentrations typical in IX brines, Fe/As molar ratios varying from 1.3 to 1.7 were needed. Sludge solid concentrations varying from 2 to 18 mg L(-1) were found. The results of this research have direct application to the treatment of residual wastes brines containing arsenic.     

Arsenic removal from groundwater by MnO2-modified natural clinoptilolite zeolite: effects of pH and initial feed concentration

Adsorption of arsenic (As(5+)) on natural and MnO(2)-modified clinoptilolite-Ca zeolite adsorbents was investigated to explore the feasibility of removing arsenic from groundwater using natural zeolite adsorbents. The natural and MnO(2)-modified clinoptilolite-Ca zeolite adsorbents were characterized with nitrogen adsorption at 77K for pore textural properties, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence for morphology, elemental composition and distribution. Batch adsorption equilibrium experiments were conducted to study the effects of pH and initial feed concentration on arsenic removal efficiency. It was found that the amphoteric properties and arsenic removal efficiency of the natural clinoptilolite-Ca zeolite were significantly improved after modification with MnO(2). The MnO(2)-modified zeolite could effectively remove arsenic from water at a wide pH range, and the arsenic removal efficiency that is basically independent of the pH of feed solutions varies slightly with the initial arsenic concentration in the feed solutions. The removal efficiency obtained on the modified zeolite was doubled as compared to that obtained on the unmodified zeolite. The MnO(2)-modified clinoptilolite-Ca zeolite appears to be a promising adsorbent for removing trace arsenic amounts from water.