Adsorption of heavy metals onto sewage sludge-derived materials

Surface modification of sewage sludge derived carbonaceous catalyst for m-cresol catalytic wet peroxide oxidation and degradation mechanism

Organic synthesis is used to investigate the degradation of m-cresol and the intermediates are identified by in situ NMR.

Effect of activator on the structure and desulphurization efficiency of sludge-activated carbon

Sludge-activated carbons (SACs) prepared with excess of activated sludge are used to solve the problems of sludge disposal and odour pollution in a sewage treatment plant. For the preparation, ZnCl2, KOH and H2SO4 are used as activators, respectively. The structure of the SACs are characterized by scanning electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, specific surface area and pore structure technologies, and the adsorption performance of H2S is investigated. Results indicate that the desulphurization activity of SACs, whose activators are ZnCl2 and KOH (SACZ and SACK), is better than that of carbon with H2SO4 as the activator (SACH). The breakthrough time of SACZ and SACK is up to 86 min, the sulphur capacity is 7.7 mg/cm3, and the maximal iodine value is 409.95 mg/g. While the breakthrough time of SACH is only 26 min with the sulphur capacity of 2.3 mg/cm3. A large percentage of pore volume with a diameter of 2-5 nm in the total pore volume is conductive to the desulphurization reaction. The large amount of surface acid functional groups is also helpful to the adsorption of H2S. The desulphurization activity of SACZ and SACK is superior over that of commercial-activated carbon.

Sorption performance and mechanism of a sludge-derived char as porous carbon-based hybrid adsorbent for benzene derivatives in aqueous solution

A porous sludge-derived char was prepared by a new one-step pyrolytic process with citric acid-ZnCl2 mixed fabricating-pore agents. The sludge-derived char was confirmed to be a hierarchically porous hybrid adsorbent containing-elemental carbon, -highly carbonized organic species and -inorganic ash with a great surface area of 792.4m(2)g(-1). It was used as a carbon-based hybrid adsorbent for four benzene derivatives including 4-chlorophenol, phenol, benzoic acid and 4-hydroxylbenzoic acid in aqueous solution. Results showed that their sorption isotherms were nonlinear at low concentrations and linear at high concentrations. The sorption performance could be described by a multiple sorption model (QT=QA+KPCe). The order of these partition sorption coefficients (KP) of these benzene derivatives was consistent with their octanol-water partition coefficients (logKow), but those saturated amounts (QA) were inconsistent with their logKow. The inconstancy was found to be considerably dependent on the preferential interaction of benzoic acid with SiO2 in the sludge-derived char. Quantum theoretical calculation confirmed that the preferential interaction was attributed to the formation of hydrogen bonds (1.61 and 1.69Å) and new Si-O bonds (1.83 and 1.87Å) between the carboxyl of benzoic acid and the SiO2 surface in the sorption process.

Co-production of activated carbon, fuel-gas, and oil from the pyrolysis of corncob mixtures with wet and dried sewage sludge

This study explored the amount and composition of pyrolysis gas and oil derived from wet material or dried material during the preparation of sludge-corncob activated carbon, and evaluated the physicochemical and surface properties of the obtained two types of sludge-corncob-activated carbons. For wet material, owing to the presence of water, the yields of sludge-corncob activated carbon and the oil fraction slightly decreased while the yield of gases increased. The main pyrolysis gas compounds were H2 and CO2, and more H2 was released from wet material than dried material, whereas the opposite holds for CO2 Heterocyclics, nitriles, organic acids, and steroids were the major components of pyrolysis oil. Furthermore, the presence of water in wet material reduced the yield of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from 6.76% to 5.43%. The yield of furfural, one of heterocyclics, increased sharply from 3.51% to 21.4%, which could be explained by the enhanced hydrolysis of corncob. In addition, the surface or chemical properties of the two sludge-corncob activated carbons were almost not affected by the moisture content of the raw material, although their mesopore volume and diameter were different. In addition, the adsorption capacities of the two sludge-corncob activated carbons towards Pb and nitrobenzene were nearly identical.

Preparation and adsorption behavior of new hollow-like spherical sludge chars for methylene blue

Hollow-like spherical sludge char (HSC) was prepared to decrease low pressure and increase high surface area to 1008 m² g⁻¹.

Co-treatment of acid mine drainage with municipal wastewater: performance evaluation

Co-treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) with municipal wastewater (MWW) using the activated sludge process is a novel treatment technology offering potential savings over alternative systems in materials, proprietary chemicals and energy inputs. The impacts of AMD on laboratory-scale activated sludge units (plug-flow and sequencing batch reactors) treating synthetic MWW were investigated. Synthetic AMD containing Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn and SO4 at a range of concentrations and pH values was formulated to simulate three possible co-treatment processes, i.e., (1) adding raw AMD to the activated sludge aeration tank, (2) pre-treating AMD prior to adding to the aeration tank by mixing with digested sludge and (3) pre-treating AMD by mixing with screened MWW. Continuous AMD loading to the activated sludge reactors during co-treatment did not cause a significant decrease in chemical oxygen demand (COD), 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, or total organic carbon removal; average COD removal rates ranged from 87-93%. Enhanced phosphate removal was observed in reactors loaded with Fe- and Al-rich AMD, with final effluent TP concentrations<2 mg/L. Removal rates for dissolved Al, Cu, Fe and Pb were 52-84%, 47-61%, 74-86% and 100%, respectively, in both systems. Manganese and Zn removal were strongly linked to acidity; removal from net-acidic AMD was <10% for both metals, whereas removal from circum-neutral AMD averaged 93-95% for Mn and 58-90% for Zn. Pre-mixing with screened MWW was the best process option in terms of AMD neutralization and metal removal. However, significant MWW alkalinity was consumed, suggesting an alkali supplement may be necessary.

Removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution by lipopeptides and lipopeptides modified Na-montmorillonite

The removal of Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+), Pb(2+) and Hg(2+) from aqueous solution by lipopeptides produced from solid-state fermentation (LPSSF) and LPSSF modified Na-montmorillonite clays (LPSSF/Na-MMT) was investigated. The results showed that the LPSSF had certain adsorption capability for the metal ions and the modification of Na-MMT with LPSSF at a weight ratio of 1:50 (LPSSF:Na-MMT) had the best adsorption capacity and adsorption rate. The adsorption of heavy metal ion on these adsorbents was monolayer sorption. And the rate limiting step of the adsorption process was thought as chemical sorption. The N-C-O and CC/CN groups of the LPSSF are the functional groups that were responsible for complexing the metal ions. The desorption rate of metal ions reached over 80% at 500 mg/L of LPSSF. The LPSSF/Na-MMT (1:50) was reusable and performed well in the complex system, indicating its potential application in wastewater treatment.

The use of low-cost adsorbents for wastewater purification in mining industries

Recently, great attention has been paid to the environmental problems in mining industry. At present there are different ways of mineral processing, as well as various methods of wastewater treatment, most of them are expensive. Work is ongoing to find low-cost treatments. In this article, low-cost adsorbents, potentially useful for wastewater treatment on mining and metallurgical plants, are reviewed; their characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of their application are compared. Also adsorption of different metals and radioactive compounds from acidic environment similar to composition of mining and metallurgical wastewaters is considered.

Preparation and characterization of a hierarchical porous char from sewage sludge with superior adsorption capacity for toluene by a new two-step pore-fabricating process

A kind of hierarchical porous char (SCCA/Zn) was prepared from sewage sludge by a new two-step pore-fabricating process coupling citric acid (CA) with ZnCl2 in a pyrolysis process. The char was characterized by element analysis, N2-adsorption and mercury intrusion measurement etc. It is found that coupling CA and ZnCl2 can synergistically fabricate pores in the pyrolysis process, resulting in a hierarchical porous char, SCCA/Zn, with the largest SBET of 867.6 m(2) g(-1) due to the fact that the former contributes to the fabrication of macro-pores, which provides more space for fabricating meso- and micro-pores by ZnCl2 activation. Although the SBET of SCCA/Zn was 15% less than that of activated carbon fiber (ACF, SBET=999.5 m(2) g(-1)), SCCA/Zn had a higher toluene adsorption capacity (0.83 g g(-1)) than ACF. The inconsistence between their SBET and adsorption capacity can be ascribed to the strong hydrophobic property of SCCA/Zn.

Structure and adsorption properties of sewage sludge-derived carbon with removal of inorganic impurities and high porosity

Purified sludge carbon (PSC) with removal of inorganic 'impurities' (Si, Al, etc.) is prepared from sewage sludge. Morphological structure, textural properties, surface elements and functional groups of sludge carbon (SC) and PSC are compared. SBET and pore volume of PSC are about three times higher than those of SC. PSC with large fluffy cavities remains some memory of SC parent structure. Removed fractions can be considered as a natural template for producing a hierarchical porous structure in PSC. Abundant oxygen-containing groups including hydroxyl and epoxide are generated in PSC, which are favorable for organic contaminant removal from wastewater. Diffraction peaks at 2θ = 45°, bending modes of Si-O-Si and Na1s peaks (1070.5 eV) jointly confirm that only a trace of adsorbed impurities (Na2O·(SiO2)x (x ≥ 1)) is retained on PSC surface. PSC is superior to SC and comparable to commercial activated carbon for rhodamine B and phenol adsorption capacity.

Biosorption of multifold toxic heavy metal ions from aqueous water onto food residue eggshell membrane functionalized with ammonium thioglycolate

A new biosorbent material from eggshell membrane was synthesized through thiol functionalization, which is based on the reduction of disulfide bonds in eggshell membrane by ammonium thioglycolate. The thiol-functionalized eggshell membrane was characterized, and its application as an adsorbent for removal of Cr(VI), Hg(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), and Ag(I) from aqueous water has been investigated. The experimental results revealed that the adsorption abilities of the thiol-functionalized eggshell membrane toward Cr(VI), Hg(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), and Ag(I) improved 1.6-, 5.5-, 7.7-, 12.4-, 12.7-, and 21.1-fold, respectively, compared with that of the eggshell membrane control. The adsorption mechanism and adsorption performance, including the adsorption capacity and the kinetics of the thiol-functionalized eggshell membrane for the target heavy metals, were investigated. The effects of solution pH, coexisting substances, and natural water matrices were studied. The thiol-functionalized eggshell membrane can be used as column packing to fabricate a column for real wastewater purification.

Effect of biomass addition on the surface and adsorption characterization of carbon-based adsorbents from sewage sludge

Sewage sludge with the additive corn cob was used as prescusor to prepare sludge-based carbon adsorbents by pyrolysis method. And then, the carbonizated products were activated with potassium hydroxide. The mixing ratio of the corn cob to sewage sludge was investigated. The surface area and pore size distribution, elemental composition, surface chemistry structure and the surface physical morphology were determined and compared. The results demonstrated that the addition of corn cob into the sewage sludge sample could effectively improve the surface area (from 287 to 591 m2/g) and the microporosity (from 5% to 48%) of the carbon based adsorbent, thus enhancing the adsorption behavior. The sulfur dioxide adsorption capacity was measured according to breakthrough test. It was found that the sulfur dioxide adsorption capacity of the adsorbents was obviously enhanced after the addition of the corn cob. It is presumed that not only highly porous adsorbents, but also a high metallic content of these materials are required to achieve good performances.

Optimization of Preparation of Activated Carbon fromRicinus communisLeaves by Microwave-Assisted Zinc Chloride Chemical Activation: Competitive Adsorption of Ni2+Ions from Aqueous Solution

The preparation of activated carbon (AC) fromRicinus communisleaves was investigated in this paper. Orthogonal array experimental design method was used to optimize the preparation of AC using microwave assisted zinc chloride. Optimized parameters were radiation power of 100 W, radiation time of 8 min, concentration of zinc chloride of 30% by volume, and impregnation time of 24 h, respectively. The surface characteristics of the AC prepared under optimized conditions were examined by pHZPC, SEM-EDAX, XRD, and FTIR. Competitive adsorption of Ni2+ions onRicinus communisleaves by microwave assisted zinc chloride chemical activation (ZLRC) present in binary and ternary mixture was compared with the single metal solution. The effects of the presence of one metal ion on the adsorption of the other metal ion were investigated. The experimental results indicated that the uptake capacity of one metal ion was reduced by the presence of the other metal ion. The extent of adsorption capacity of the binary and ternary metal ions tested on ZLRC was low (48–69%) as compared to single metal ions. Comparisons with the biosorption of Ni2+ions by the biomass of ZLRC in the binary (48.98–68.41%-~Ni-Cu and 69.76–66.29%-~Ni-Cr) and ternary solution (67.32–57.07%-~Ni–Cu and Cr) could lead to the conclusion that biosorption of Ni2+ions was reduced by the influence of Cu2+and Cr3+ions. The equilibrium data of the adsorption was well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm. The adsorption process follows the pseudo-second-order kinetic model.

Adsorption of Hg(II) from Aqueous Solution Using Adulsa (Justicia adhatoda) Leaves Powder: Kinetic and Equilibrium Studies

The ability of Adulsa leaves powder (ALP) to adsorb Hg(II) from aqueous solutions has been investigated through batch experiments. The ALP biomass was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The experimental parameters that were investigated in this study included pH, adsorbent dosage, and effect of contact time along with initial metal ion concentration. The adsorption process was relatively fast, and equilibrium was achieved after 40 min of contact time. The maximum removal of Hg(II), 97.5% was observed at pH 6. The adsorption data were correlated with Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherms. Isotherms results were amply fitted by the Langmuir model determining a monolayer maximum adsorption capacity (qm) of ALP biomass equal to 107.5 mg g−1and suggesting a functional group-limited sorption process. The kinetic process of Hg(II) adsorption onto ALP biomass was tested by applying pseudofirst-order, pseudosecond-order, Elovich, and intraparticle-diffusion models to correlate the experimental data and to determine the kinetic parameters. It was found that the pseudosecond order kinetic model for Hg(II) adsorption fitted very well. The rate determining step is described by intraparticle diffusion model. These studies considered the possibility of using Adulsa plant leaves biomass as an inexpensive, efficient, and environmentally safe adsorbent for the treatment of Hg(II) contaminated wastewaters.

Chitosan/anionic surfactant microparticles synthesized by high pressure spraying method for removal of phenolic pollutants

Biopolymeric microparticles were prepared by rapid expansion of high pressure CO2-chitosan (Chi) solution in sodium bis-(2-ethyl hexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) solution. At pressures higher than 2 MPa, ultrafine particles were formed while under this value, wires were obtained. The formation of Chi/AOT complex was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, whereas scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the morphology, size and shape of the particles. The FTIR spectrum proved the interaction between the sulfonate groups of AOT and the amino groups of Chi. Microparticles are quasi-spherical in wet conditions and irregular after freeze drying, presenting a rough surface with many pores. Lyophilized hydrophobic microparticles were used to remove phenol and o-cresol from aqueous solution, and the adsorption process showed a maximum efficiency in the 7–8 pH range. The uptake of phenol and o-cresol increased with the amount of particles and decreased with increasing the pollutant concentration. The adsorption occurred rapidly in the first 60–120 minutes, and leveled off thereafter.

Effects of pyrolysis temperature, time and leaf litter and powder coal ash addition on sludge-derived adsorbents for nitrogen oxide

The objective of this research was to seek a cost effective solution to prepare adsorbents for nitrogen oxide from surplus sludge. Leaf litter and powder coal ash were used as cheap and easily available additives. An adsorbent for nitrogen oxide was prepared by pyrolysis of dried sludge mixed with zinc chloride. Under optimum pyrolysis conditions of 375°C for 90 min and a zinc chloride content of 30%, the surface area of the adsorbent with leaf litter was 514.41 m(2)/g, the surface area of the adsorbent with powder coal ash was 432.34 m(2)/g, respectively, corresponding to an increase of 90.70% and 60.27% when compared to the adsorbent without the additives. The saturated adsorption quantity of the adsorbent with leaf litter reached 271 mg/g at 20°C. The results indicated that the sludge-derived adsorbent was quite promising for nitrogen oxide removal.

Adsorption of copper(II) onto sewage sludge-derived materials via microwave irradiation

The materials with adsorbent properties were produced from urban sewage sludge by two different procedures via microwave irradiation: (1) by one single pyrolysis stage (SC); (2) by chemical activation with ZnCl(2) (SZ). The BET, SEM and FT-IR have been used to evaluate the pore structural parameters and surface chemistry of the adsorbents, respectively. Subsequently they were used for adsorption of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions. The effects of various experimental parameters, such as pH, temperature were investigated in a batch-adsorption technique. The results showed that the adsorption of Cu(II) was maximal at pH 5.0. The kinetic study demonstrated that the adsorption process was followed the second-order kinetic equation. The experimental adsorption isotherm data were well fitted with Langmuir model and the maximum adsorption capacity of Cu(II) were found to be 3.88 and 10.56 mg/g for SC and SZ, respectively, in the solution of pH 5.0. Thermodynamic parameters such as changes in the enthalpy (ΔH(0)), entropy (ΔS(0)) and free energy (ΔG(0)) indicate that Cu(II) adsorption onto SC and SZ is an endothermic and spontaneous process in nature at 15-45°C. These results indicate that the sewage sludge-derived material via microwave induced ZnCl(2) activation is an effective and alternative adsorbent for the removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solution.

Romoval of Zinc Ion from Aqueous Solution by Adsorption onto Solidifying Landfilled Sludge

In this paper, the removal behaviour of Zn2+from aqueous solution by adsorption onto solidifying landfilled sludge and its mechanism were studied. The results showed that Zn2+adsorption capacity reached optimum when initial pH was 3.0. When initial Zn2+concentration was150mg/L, the removal efficiency could reach more than 90% with dosage of solidifying landfilled sludge being 6g/L. Moreover, the adsorption isotherm could conform to Freundlich equations best. The desorption ratio for adsorbed Zn2+reached above 90% by HCl solution with pH value being 1.0, however, it was only about 10% despite of EDTA concentration. FTIR analysis showed that main site for Zn2+adsorption onto solidifying landfilled sludge was Me-O group from metal oxide and hydroxyl group from fatty alcohol.

Sorption of Cu, Pb and Cr on Na-montmorillonite: competition and effect of major elements

The competitive sorption among Cu, Pb and Cr in ternary system on Na-montmorillonite at pH 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5 and at different heavy metal concentrations, and the effect of varying concentrations of Al, Fe, Ca and Mg on the sorption of heavy metals were studied. Competitive sorption of Cu, Pb and Cr in ternary system on montmorillonite followed the sequence of Cr≫Cu>Pb. Moreover, the competition was weakened by the increase of pH while was intensified by the increase of heavy metal concentration. The sorption of heavy metal on montmorillonite was inhibited by the presence of Ca and Mg, while Al and Fe showed different patterns in affecting heavy metal sorption. Aluminum and Fe generally inhibited the sorption of heavy metal when the pH and/or concentration of major elements were relatively low. However, promoting effects on heavy metal sorption by Al and Fe were found at relatively high pH and/or great concentration of major elements. The inhibition of major elements on heavy metal sorption generally followed the order of Al>Fe>Ca⩾Mg, while Fe was more efficient than Al in promoting the sorption of heavy metals. These findings are of fundamental significance for evaluating the mobility of heavy metals in polluted environments.

Study on activated carbon derived from sewage sludge for adsorption of gaseous formaldehyde

The aim of this work is to evaluate the adsorption performances of activated carbon derived from sewage sludge (ACSS) for gaseous formaldehyde removal compared with three commercial activated carbons (CACs) using self-designing adsorption and distillation system. Formaldehyde desorption of the activated carbons for regeneration was also studied using thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The porous structure and surface characteristics were studied using N2 adsorption and desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results show that ACSS has excellent adsorption performance, which is overall superior to the CACs. Adsorption theory indicates that the ACSS outperforms the CACs due to its appropriate porous structure and surface chemistry characteristics for formaldehyde adsorption. The TG analysis of desorption shows that the optimum temperature to regenerate ACSS is 75°C, which is affordable and economical for recycling.

Characterization of mesoporous activated carbons prepared by pyrolysis of sewage sludge with pyrolusite

Activated carbons were prepared from sewage sludge by chemical activation. Pyrolusite was added as a catalyst during activation and carbonization. The influence of the mineral addition on the properties of the activated carbons produced was evaluated. The results show that activated carbons from pyrolusite-supplemented sewage sludge had up to a 75% higher BET surface area and up to a 66% increase in mesoporosity over ordinary sludge-based activated carbons. Batch adsorption experiments applying the prepared adsorbents to synthetic dye wastewater treatment yielded adsorption data well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm. The adsorbents from pyrolusite-supplemented sludges performed better in dye removal than those without mineral addition, with the carbon from pyrolusite-augmented sludge T2 presenting a significant increase in maximum adsorption capacity of 50mg/g. The properties of the adsorbents were improved during pyrolusite-catalyzed pyrolysis via enhancement of mesopore production, thus the mesopore channels may provide fast mass transfer for large molecules like dyes.

Removal of copper from aqueous solution using iron-containing adsorbents derived from methane fermentation sludge

Iron-containing adsorbents prepared from methane fermentation sludge (MFS) were characterized by N(2) adsorption, XRD, SEM, EDX, pH determination and elemental analysis. The experiments for copper removal from aqueous solution using the MFS-derived adsorbents were performed, and the effects of iron content, forms of the iron (hydr)oxides, surface basicity and pH of the aqueous solution on copper removal were elucidated respectively. The desorption studies were also performed and the mechanism of Cu(II) adsorption was proposed. The results indicated that the adsorbent obtained at 700 degrees C for 1h in a steam atmosphere possessed the highest capability for Cu(II) adsorption. The high copper removal ability of the MFS-derived materials is attributed to their intermediate surface area, strong surface basicity and the presence of iron (hydr)oxides on their surface. The Cu(II) adsorption onto the composite adsorbents is via ion-exchange with H, Ca and K ions, surface precipitation and binding with active sites on the surface of iron (hydr)oxides at various pH values. The desorption of copper in deionized water is quite low. The irreversibility of copper adsorption on the iron-containing adsorbents is attributed to the formation of strong bonds between Cu(II) and the iron (hydr)oxides. The adsorbent can be applied to remove copper from water or soil by fixation onto the surface.

Removal of mercury(II) from aqueous solution using moss (Drepanocladus revolvens) biomass: equilibrium, thermodynamic and kinetic studies

The equilibrium, thermodynamics and kinetics of the biosorption of Hg(II) onto moss (Drepanocladus revolvens) biomass from aqueous solution were investigated. Optimum experimental parameters were determined to be pH 5.5, contact time 60min, biomass concentration 4 g L(-1) of solution, and temperature 20 degrees C. From the Langmuir model the maximum biosorption capacity of the moss biomass was found to be 94.4 mg g(-1). The mean free energy value (10.2 kJ mol(-1)) evaluated by using the Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) model indicated that the biosorption of mercury ions onto D. revolvens was taken place by chemical ion-exchange. The kinetic studies indicated that the biosorption process of mercury ions followed well pseudo-second-order model. The calculated thermodynamic parameters (DeltaG degrees , DeltaS degrees , DeltaH degrees ) showed the biosorption to be exothermic and spontaneous with decreased randomness at the solid-solution interface. The recovery of the Hg(II) from D. revolvens biomass was found to be 99% using 1M HCl. It was concluded that the D. revolvens biomass can be used as biosorbent for the treatment of wastewaters containing Hg(II) ions.

Tailoring size and structural distortion of Fe3O4 nanoparticles for the purification of contaminated water

Fe(3)O(4) magnetic nanoparticles with different particle sizes were synthesized using two methods, i.e., a co-precipitation process and a polyol process, respectively. The atomic pair distribution analyses from the high-energy X-ray scattering data and TEM observations show that the two kinds of nanoparticles have different sizes and structural distortions. An average particle size of 6-8 nm with a narrow size distribution was observed for the nanoparticles prepared with the co-precipitation method. Magnetic measurements show that those particles are in ferromagnetic state with a saturation magnetization of 74.3 emu g(-1). For the particles synthesized with the polyol process, a mean diameter of 18-35 nm was observed with a saturation magnetization of 78.2 emu g(-1). Although both kinds of nanoparticles are well crystallized, an obviously higher structural distortion is evidenced for the co-precipitation processed nanoparticles. The synthesized Fe(3)O(4) particles with different mean particle size were used for treating the wastewater contaminated with the metal ions, such as Ni(II), Cu(II), Cd(II) and Cr(VI). It is found that the adsorption capacity of Fe(3)O(4) particles increased with decreasing the particle size or increasing the surface area. While the particle size was decreased to 8 nm, the Fe(3)O(4) particles can absorb almost all of the above-mentioned metal ions in the contaminated water with the adsorption capacity of 34.93 mg/g, which is approximately 7 times higher than that using the coarse particles. We attribute the extremely high adsorption capacity to the highly-distorted surface.

Evaluation of lead(II) immobilization by a vermicompost using adsorption isotherms and IR spectroscopy

The immobilization of lead ions by a vermicompost with calcite added was evaluated by adsorption isotherms and the results were explained on basis of the pH dependent surface charge and by IR spectroscopy. The results showed maximum adsorption values between 113.6 mg g(-1) (33 degrees C) and 123.5mg g(-1) (50 degrees C). The point of zero net charge (PZC) was 7.5+/-0.1, indicating the presence of a positive surface charge at the pH of batch experiments. The differences in the IR spectra at pH 3.8 and 7.0 in the region from 1800 to 1300 cm(-1), were interpreted on the basis of the carboxyl acid ionization, that reduced the band intensity around 1725 cm(-1), producing signals at 1550 cm(-1) and 1390 cm(-1) of carboxylate groups. Similar changes were detected at pH 3.8 when Pb2+ was present suggesting that the ion complexation takes place by a cationic exchange equilibrium, between the protons and Pb2+ ions.

Adsorption of phenol, p-chlorophenol and p-nitrophenol onto functional chitosan

Functional chitosan, chemically modified by salicylaldehyde (CS-SA), beta-cyclodextrin (CS-CD), and a cross-linked beta-cyclodextrin polymer (EPI-CD) were prepared as adsorbents to remove phenol, p-nitrophenol and p-chlorophenol from aqueous solution. Langmuir and Freundlich models were applied to describe the adsorption isotherm of phenols, and adsorption parameters were evaluated. Functional chitosan displayed outstanding adsorption ability for phenols. To our surprise, CS-CD exhibited specific adsorption ability for p-chlorophenol. The possible adsorption interaction was discussed. Effects of pH and KCl on the adsorption suggested that the adsorption of phenols was predominated by hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interaction and pi-pi interaction not electrostatic interaction. Effect of temperature indicated that the low temperature was favorable for the adsorption of phenols. Separation of phenols and adsorbent regeneration were carried out by simple washing with ethanol and filtrating.