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Biomass sorbents for metalloid removal

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Abstract

The present work investigates the sorption of metalloids—As(V), Sb(V), and Te(VI)—on Fe-modified biomaterials (Fe-modified peat, shingles, moss, straw, canes, and sand) using batch tests. The said sorption was studied as a function of initial metalloid concentration, pH, and temperature. The highest sorption capacity was observed for Fe-modified peat. Fe-modified moss and Fe-modified shingles can also be used in severely polluted waters. The best sorption conditions are in the pH interval 3–6.5 for As(V) and Sb(V), while pH 3–9 is the most appropriate interval for Te(VI) removal. The impact of temperature on the metalloid sorption capacity of Fe-modified peat was tested at four temperatures: 275, 283, 298, and 313 K, and the sorption capacity increased with increase in temperature for all of the studied metalloids. The calculated thermodynamic parameters suggest that the sorption process is of a spontaneous nature and endothermic.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by the National Research Programme NatRes and by the European Social Fund within the project “Support for Doctoral Studies at the University of Latvia”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, University of Latvia, Raina Blvd 19, Riga, 1586, Latvia

    Linda Ansone, Maris Klavins & Maruta Jankevica

  2. Faculty of Chemistry, University of Latvia, Raina Blvd 19, Riga, 1586, Latvia

    Arturs Viksna

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  1. Linda Ansone
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  2. Maris Klavins
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  4. Arturs Viksna
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Correspondence to Linda Ansone.

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Ansone, L., Klavins, M., Jankevica, M. et al. Biomass sorbents for metalloid removal. Adsorption 20, 275–286 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10450-013-9594-4

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