Removal of arsenic (V) from aqueous solutions using chitosan–red scoria and chitosan–pumice blends

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Abstract

In different regions across the globe, elevated arsenic contents in the groundwater constitute a major health problem. In this work, a biopolymer chitosan has been blended with volcanic rocks (red scoria and pumice) for arsenic (V) removal. The effect of three blending ratios of chitosan and volcanic rocks (1:2, 1:5 and 1:10) on arsenic removal has been studied. The optimal blending ratio was 1:5 (chitosan: volcanic rocks) with maximum adsorption capacity of 0.72 mg/g and 0.71 mg/g for chitosan: red scoria (Ch–Rs) and chitosan: pumice (Ch–Pu), respectively. The experimental adsorption data fitted well a Langmuir isotherm (R2 > 0.99) and followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. The high stability of the materials and their high arsenic (V) removal efficiency (~93%) in a wide pH range (4 to 10) are useful for real field applications. Moreover, the blends could be regenerated using 0.05 M NaOH and used for several cycles without losing their original arsenic removal efficiency. The results of the study demonstrate that chitosan-volcanic rock blends should be further explored as a potential sustainable solution for removal of arsenic (V) from water.

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Asere, T. G., Mincke, S., De Clercq, J., Verbeken, K., Tessema, D. A., Fufa, F., … Du Laing, G. (2017). Removal of arsenic (V) from aqueous solutions using chitosan–red scoria and chitosan–pumice blends. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14080895

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