Potential application of manganese coated sand in the removal of Mn(II) from aqueous solutions.

The aim of this study was to explore the applicability of manganese coated sand (MCS) in the presence and absence of sodium hypochlorite for the removal of Mn(II) (2 mg/L) from aqueous solutions. Sand itself is widely used as a filter media for the treatment of wastewaters and it was reported that during the treatment, Mn(II), which is present in the wastewater, is to be deposited on the surface of sand in the form of manganese dioxide. The present investigation dealt with various MCS samples, prepared in the laboratory by various doses of Mn(II) (i.e. from 0.05 to 0.2 mol/L) and the samples were obtained from the pilot plant and naturally coated in the water treatment plant for the removal of Mn(II) in the batch and column studies. Moreover, it was realised that the role of hypochlorite is multifunctional as it not only enhances the uptake of Mn(II) on the surface of MCS through oxidation of Mn(II) into Mn(IV) and hence the formation of manganese dioxide, but it was also supposed to disinfect the bacteria or harmful pathogens from the waste/surface waters. The results obtained clearly inferred that various MCS samples used for the removal of Mn(II) from aqueous solutions showed comparable removal efficiency. However, the presence of sodium hypochlorite greatly enhanced the removal of Mn(II) as more than 80% Mn(II) was removed in the presence of sodium hypochlorite at around pH 6.5. Similarly, while comparing the column data it was again noted that the breakthrough points occurred after the 4,100 and 6,500 bed volumes, respectively, in the absence and in the presence of sodium hypochlorite (2 mg/L).     

Removal of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions using N-carboxymethyl chitosan

N-carboxymethyl chitosan (NCMC) was synthesized by reacting chitosan with chloroacetic acid in water under triethylamine (Et(3)N) as catalyst. The chemical structures of NCMC were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H-NMR) spectroscopy and confirmed that carboxymethylation occurred on the amino groups. Samples of NCMC were used for removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solution. The effects of degree of substitution of NCMC, initial pH value and adsorption kinetics on the adsorption were studied. Adsorption experiments showed that NCMC has a high adsorption speed and high adsorption capacity for remove Cu(II) from aqueous solution. The adsorption kinetics data were best fitted with the pseudo-second-order model. The experimental equilibrium data of Cu(II) on the NCMC were both fitted to the Langmuir model and Freundlich model, which revealed that the maximum capacity for monolayer saturation was 147.93 mg/g.     

Removal of copper(II) and cadmium(II) ions from aqueous solutions by biosorption onto pine cone

In this study, the removal of copper(II) and cadmium(II) ions from aqueous solutions by biosorption onto pine cone was studied. Variables that affect the biosorption process such as pH, biosorbent dosage, initial metal ion concentration, contact time and temperature of solution were optimized. Experimental data were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin Radushkevich and Temkin isotherm models to investigate the equilibrium isotherms. Pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion kinetic models were used to determine the biosorption mechanism. The thermodynamics of biosorption were studied for predicting the nature of biosorption. Experimental results showed that pine cone could be evaluated as an alternative precursor for removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions, due to its high biosorption capacity, availability, and low cost.     

Sorption behavior of florisil for the removal of antimony ions from aqueous solutions

Florisil was employed for the sorption of antimony ions from aqueous solutions. A detailed study of the process was performed by varying the sorption time, pH, and temperature. The sorption was found to be fast, equilibrium was reached within 15 min. Moreover, a maximum sorption has been achieved from solution when the pH ranges between 1-10. From kinetic experiments it follows that the process correlate with the second-order kinetic model. The overall rate process appears to be influenced by both boundary layer diffusion and intra-particle diffusion. The Langmuir and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) type sorption isotherms can be applied to fit and interpret the sorption data. The mean energy of adsorption (9.73 kJ mol(-1)) was calculated from the Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) adsorption isotherm at room temperature. Furthermore, the thermodynamic parameters for the sorption were also determined, and the deltaH0 and deltaG0 values indicate a spontaneous endothermic behavior.     

Phosphonated cross-linked polyethylenimine for selective removal of uranium ions from aqueous solutions

Among many remediation techniques for metal ion removal, polymeric adsorbents are efficient and widely applied. This has made them comparable with other remediation techniques in terms of technical and economic efficiency, feasibility as well as green technology. This study was dedicated to the development of an insoluble modified chelating polymer for use as an adsorbent for abstraction of uranium from wastewaters. Cross-linked polyethylenimine (CPEI) was phosphonated by phosphorous acid for selective removal of uranium ions. The binding affinity of the phosphonated cross-linked polyethylenimine (PCPEI) to uranium ions was assessed as well as its ability to be regenerated for reuse. It exhibited high removal percentage for uranium ions up to 99% with high selectivity even in the presence of competing ions (Mn, Ni, As). The Freundlich isotherm was found to be the best fit describing the adsorption process of uranyl ions onto the PCPEI. The pseudo-second-order equation was found to better explain the adsorption kinetics, implying chemisorption. The thermodynamic study of the adsorption revealed high activation energies which confirmed the chemisorption as the mechanism of adsorption.     

Removal of Ni(II) from aqueous solution using Moringa oleifera seeds as a bioadsorbent

Metal contaminants are generally removed from effluents by chemical and physical processes which are often associated with disadvantages such as the use of toxic reagents, generation of toxic waste and high costs. Hence, new techniques have been developed, among them the study of natural adsorbents, for instance, the use of Moringa oleifera seeds. The potential of M. oleifera seeds for nickel removal in aqueous systems was investigated. The seeds utilized were obtained from plants grown in Uberlandia/Brazil. After being dried and pulverized, the seeds were treated with 0.1 mol/L NaOH. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analyses were used for the characterization of the material. Using the optimized methodology (50 mL of 4.0 mg/L Ni(II), pH range of 4.0-6.0, agitation time of 5 min and adsorption mass of 2.0 g) more than 90% of Ni(II) could be removed from water samples. The sorption data were fitted satisfactorily by the Langmuir adsorption model. Evaluation applying the Langmuir equation gave the monolayer sorption capacity as 29.6 mg/g. The results indicate that this material could be employed in the extraction of nickel, considering its ease of use, low cost and environmental viability, which make it highly attractive for application in developing countries.     

Biosorption of Ni(Ⅱ) ions from aqueous solution using modified Aloe barbadensis Miller leaf powder

This study aimed to investigate the biosorption potential of Na_2 CO_3-modified Aloe barbadensis Miller(Aloe vera) leaf(MABL) powder for removal of Ni(II) ions from a synthetic aqueous solution. Effects of various process parameters(pH, equilibrium time, and temperature) were investigated in order to optimize the biosorptive removal. The maximum biosorption capacity of MABL was observed to be 28.986 mg/g at a temperature of 303 K, a biosorbent dose of 0.6 g, a contact time of 90 min, and a pH value of 7. Different kinetic models(the pseudo-first-order,pseudo-second-order, Elovich, and intraparticle diffusion models) were evaluated. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model was found to be the best fitted model in this study, with a coefficient of determination of R~2 = 0.974. Five different isotherm models(the Langmuir, Freundlich,Temkin, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) models) were investigated to identify the best-suited isotherm model for the present system. Based on the minimum chi-square value(x~2 = 0 027) and the maximum coefficient of determination(R~2 = 0.996), the Langmuir isotherm model was found to represent the system well, indicating the possibility of monolayer biosorption. The sticking probability(S*) was found to be 0.41, suggesting a physisorption mechanism for biosorption of Ni(II) on MABL. The biosorbent was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), zeta potential, and BET surface area, in order to understand its morphological and functional characteristics.     

Use of low-cost materials in the removal of arsenic from aqueous solution

The arsenic-removing capacity of some low-cost materials was tested by passing aqueous arsenic solutions (16 and 57 ppb) of pH 7 through materials packed in plastic buckets. It was found that the initial concentration of arsenic solutions and their retention time in adsorbents greatly affected the removal of arsenic from the aqueous solution. Maximum arsenic removal was observed when the packed materials were exposed to 16 ppb of arsenic solution. With 57 ppb of arsenic solution, arsenic removal was reduced on that of 16 ppb; however, the reduced arsenic concentration was close to the recommendations of the World Health Organization drinking water quality guidelines.     

Layered double hydroxide (LDH)-coated attapulgite for phosphate removal from aqueous solution

In this study, a composite adsorbent, layered double hydroxide (LDH)-coated attapulgite (LDH-AP), was synthesized and characterized. Its potential application for LDH stabilizer and phosphate (P) removal from aqueous solution was evaluated using the batch mode and continuous mode in a packed bed column. The batch experiments revealed that the data of P adsorption onto LDH-AP could be well described by the Freundlich equation, and the maximum adsorption capacity was estimated to be 6.9 mg/g. The column experiments were conducted in the tap water and the results indicated that the competing anions could slightly decrease phosphate removal. The saturated column was regenerated by 0.2 mol/L of NaOH and the regenerated column was examined for its reuse in phosphate removal. The results of this study suggested that attapulgite could be used as an applicable stabilizer of LDH and LDH-AP could be potentially used as a promising filtration medium for phosphate removal.     

Simultaneous copper, cobalt and phenol removal from aqueous solutions by alternating biosorption and biodegradation

A strategy for removal of heavy metals and phenol from wastewaters is proposed. It involves consecutive cation biosorption by fungi, phenol biodegradation by the yeast association Candida sp. 2326 + Candida sp. 2327 and regeneration. Copper and cobalt removal from aqueous solutions containing 80-120 mg/L phenol by biosorption, using Rhizopus archizus cells immobilized onto poly (vinyl alcohol), was investigated by conducting a series of batch experiments. The removal efficiencies were 81% for Cu and 5% for Co. The residual concentrations of Cu (1.9 mg/L) and of Co (9.5 mg/L) did not change the biodegradation dynamics of phenol. A quantitative biodegradation of 120 mg/L phenol proceeded within 22 h. After biodegradation of phenol, the removal efficiencies achieved by biosorption after regeneration were 90% for Cu and 44% for Co. It was found that copper and cobalt form positively charged complexes with phenol. This complex formation hinders the retention of Cu and Co by the biosorbent and reduces the uptake of their cations.     

Removal of lead(II) and copper(II) from aqueous solution using foitite from Linshou mine in Hebei, China

Foitite from Linshou mine in China's Hebei province was investigated as an adsorbent to remove Pb(II) and Cu(II) from aqueous solution. The results showed that foitite can readily remove heavy metal ions from aqueous solution. The data shows that the metal uptake for Pb(II) increases rapidly, accounting for 74.47% when contact time was 2 min. In contrast to Pb(ll), there was a worse capability for adsorption of Cu(II). In the first 4 min, the metal uptake accounted for 34.7%. According to the analytical results obtained from X-ray diffraction, laser Raman spectrum, X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer, and Zeta potential, the removal mechanism of Pb(II) and Cu(II) by using foitite can be explained as following: firstly, the existence of an electrostatic field around foitite particles can attract heavy metal ions and consequently combine heavy metal ions with OH; secondly, heavy metal ions in the solution are exchanged with the Fe3+ and Al3+ in the foitite.     

Adsorption of Cd(II), Zn(II) by extracellular polymeric substances extracted from waste activated sludge

Adsorption of Cd(II) and Zn(II) ions in single solutions using extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from activated sludge was investigated. Langmuir and Freundlich models were applied to describe metal adsorption. The results showed that EPS was an effective adsorbent for the zinc and cadmium ions from aqueous solution. The equilibrium metal uptake was increased with increasing the initial concentration of metal ion. Constants calculated from isotherms model showed that the maximum uptake capacity of cadmium was estimated to be 45 mg/g of Cd(II) and 80 mg/g of Zn(II). Both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were suitable for describing adsorption of Cd(II) by EPS, while the Langmuir isotherm equation fit the date of Zn(II) adsorption better, indicating that EPS adsorb Cd(II) and Zn(II) by different mechanisms.Analysis of FTIR spectra demonstrated that C-O-C of polysaccharides at 1,150-1,030 cm(-1), group of the amide(I), CH(2) group of the lipids, carboxyl and -OH groups of proteins and polysaccharides were involved in cadmium and zinc binding, of which the -OH groups and the C-O-C group of polysaccharides.     

Adsorption of Zn(II) and Cd(II) ions in batch system by using the Eichhornia crassipes

In this work, the displacement effects on the sorption capacities of zinc and cadmium ions of the Eichornia crassipes-type biosorbent in batch binary system has been studied. Preliminary single metal sorption experiments were carried out. An improvement on the Zn(II) and Cd(II) ions removal was achieved by working at 30 °C temperature and with non-uniform biosorbent grain sizes. A 60 min equilibrium time was achieved for both Zn(II) and Cd(II) ions. Furthermore, it was found that the overall kinetic data were best described by the pseudo second-order kinetic model. Classical multi-component adsorption isotherms have been tested as well as a modified extended Langmuir isotherm model, showing good agreement with the equilibrium binary data. Around 0.65 mequiv./g maximum metal uptake associated with the E. crassipes biosorbent was attained and the E. crassipes biosorbent has shown higher adsorption affinity for the zinc ions than for the cadmium ones in the binary system.     

Biosorption of As(V) from aqueous solutions by living cells of Bacillus cereus

In this work, the biosorption of As(V) from aqueous solutions by living cells of Bacillus cereus has been reported. The batch biosorption experiments were conducted with respect to biosorbent dosage 0.5 to 15 g/L, pH 2 to 9, contact time 5 to 90 min, initial concentration 1 to 10 mg/L and temperature 10 to 40 °C. The maximum biosorption capacity of B. cereus for As(V) was found to be 30.04 at pH 7.0, at optimum conditions of contact time of 30 min, biomass dosage of 6 g/L, and temperature of 30 ± 2 °C. Biosorption data were fitted to linearly transformed Langmuir isotherms with R(2) (correlation coefficient) >0.99. Bacillus cereus cell surface was characterized using AFM and FTIR. The metal ions were desorbed from B. cereus using both 1 M HCl and 1 M HNO(3). The pseudo-second-order model was successfully applied to predict the rate constant of biosorption.     

Adsorption of Zn(II) on dialdehyde m-phenylenediamine starch

A new chelating material dialdehyde m-phenylenediamine starch (DASMPA) was synthesized by reacting m-phenylenediamine with dialdehyde starch. The obtained material was characterized by element analysis and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra. The FT-IR of DASMPA showed an absorption peak at 1605.95 cm(-1) indicating the formation of a Schiff base (C=N). Adsorption activity of DASMPA for Zn(2+) was also investigated in terms of contact time, pH, the initial Zn(II) concentration and temperature, the results revealed that pH = 5, t = 1 h were the optimal conditions. With the degree of substitution (DS) of the DASMPA increased, the adsorption capacity increased gradually. The adsorption equilibrium data correlated well with Freundlich isotherm. Moreover, lower temperature was preferable for the process as it was exothermic.     

Efficient removal of Cr(VI) by polydopamine-modified lignin from aqueous solution: Batch and XAFS studies

Lignocellulose has the potential to become a bio-based adsorbent due to its biodegradability and renewability. In this study, a novel polydopamine-functionalized-lignin (lignin@PDA), prepared via self-polymerization of dopamine (PDA) on lignin, was used as a bio-based adsorbent for rapid scavenging of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). The morphology, functional groups, crystalline structure, and chemical composition of lignin@PDA were characterized with a scanning electron microscope–energy dispersive spectrometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The Cr(VI) adsorption process of lignin@PDA was studied using batch experiments as a function of pH, ionic strength, adsorbent dose, and contact time at room temperature. The adsorption rate of lignin@PDA was five times greater than that of the unmodified lignin, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 102.6 mg/g in an acidic medium. The adsorption of Cr(VI) on lignin@PDA fit the pseudo-second-order equation and the Freundlich model, indicating that the adsorption process was mainly dominated by chemisorption and surface complexation. The thermodynamic parameters showed that adsorption of Cr(VI) on lignin@PDA was an endothermic and spontaneous process. The X-ray absorption fine structure results showed that sorption and reduction of Cr(VI) into Cr(III) occurred simultaneously on lignin. Moreover, PDA coating not only improved the reactivity of lignin but also promoted the complete reduction of Cr(VI) by lignin. According to these results, polydopamine-functionalized-lignin is a promising bio-based adsorbent for immobilization of Cr(VI) from wastewater.

     

膨润土对水泥固化体中Pb(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) 及Cr(VI)浸出的影响

为了确保含重金属废弃物在水泥基材料中的安全资源化利用,研究了在不同p H条件下纯水泥对Pb(Ⅱ)、Zn(Ⅱ)、Cd(Ⅱ)及Cr(Ⅵ)等重金属的固化效果及加入膨润土后的影响。结果表明:除Cr(Ⅵ)之外,纯水泥对Pb(Ⅱ)、Zn(Ⅱ)及Cd(Ⅱ)的固化效果较好,当重金属的掺量达到5‰时,即便在p H=3的强酸条件下,其浸出毒性仍然低于国家标准。加入膨润土后,可进一步降低水泥基材料中各重金属的浸出率,当膨润土掺量为30%、酸性条件下,28d龄期固化体中Zn(Ⅱ)、Cd(Ⅱ)、Cr(Ⅵ)的浸出浓度分别降低了60.9%、51.3%及53.3%,CH峰值下降、AFt峰值明显增高,但膨润土对Pb(Ⅱ)有负效应,酸性溶液中的浸出量高于中性溶液。     

Development of adsorbent for the simultaneous removal of organic and inorganic contaminants from aqueous solution

In this study, a modified adsorbent, alginate complex beads, was prepared and applied to the removal of mixed contaminants from wastewater. The alginate complex beads were generated by the immobilization of powdered activated carbon and synthetic zeolites onto alginate gel beads, which were then dried at 110 °C for 20 h until the diameter had been reduced to 1 mm. This dry technique increased the hardness of the adsorbent to assure its durability and application. The adsorption onto the alginate complex beads of organic and inorganic compounds, as target contaminants, was investigated by performing both equilibrium and kinetic batch experiments. From the adsorption isotherms, according to the Langmuir equation, the alginate complex bead was capable of effectively removing benzene, toluene, zinc and cadmium. From kinetic batch experiments, the removal efficiencies of benzene, toluene, zinc and cadmium were found to be 66.5, 92.4, 74.1 and 76.7%, respectively, for initial solution concentrations of 100 mg L(-1). The results indicated that the adsorbent developed in this study has the potential to be a promising material for the removal of mixed pollutants from industrial wastewater or contaminated groundwater.     

Co-precipitation of Ni, Cr, Mn, Pb and Zn in industrial wastewater and sediment samples with copper(II) cyclo-hexylmethyldithiocarbamate for their flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination

A co-precipitation technique for nickel(II), chromium(II), manganese(II), lead(II) and zinc(II) with the aid of copper(II) cyclo-hexylmethyldithiocarbamate was established. The influences of some analytical parameters such as pH, sample volume, amounts of cyclo-hexylmethyldithiocarbamate and copper(II) on the recovery of metal ions were investigated. The heavy metals in the precipitate were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The range of detection limits for the heavy metals was 0.003-0.005 mg/L. The atomic spectrometric technique with co-precipitation procedure was successfully applied for the determination of Ni, Cr, Mn, Pb and Zn in industrial wastewater and sediment samples from Ladipo stream in Lagos, Nigeria. The mean concentrations for these metals using co-precipitation procedure were not significantly different from corresponding concentrations obtained using spectrometric techniques without co-precipitation procedure.     

Removal of ammonium from aqueous solutions using the residue obtained from struvite pyrogenation

This paper reports the results of laboratory studies on the removal of ammonium from aqueous solutions using struvite pyrogenation residues. A series of experiments were conducted to examine the effects of the pyrogenation temperature (90-210 °C) and time (0.5-4 h) on the ammonium release of struvite. In addition, the pyrolysate of struvite produced at different pyrogenation temperatures and times was recycled for ammonium removal from aqueous solutions. The experimental results indicated that the ammonium release ratio of struvite increased with an increase in the pyrogenation temperature and time, and the struvite pyrolysate used as magnesium and phosphate source for ammonium removal was produced at the optimal condition of pyrogenation temperature of 150 °C for 1 h. Furthermore, experimental results showed that the optimum pH and pyrolysate dosage for ammonium removal from 100 ml synthetic wastewater (1,350 mg ammonium/L) were at pH 9 and 2.4 g of struvite pyrolysate, respectively, and initial ammonium concentration played a significant role in the ammonium removal by the struvite pyrolysate. In order to further reduce the cost of struvite precipitation, the struvite pyrolysate was repeatedly used for four cycles. The results of economic analysis showed that recycling struvite for three process cycles should be reasonable for ammonium removal, with ammonium removal efficiencies of over 50% and a reduction of 40% in the removal cost per kg NH(4)(+).