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Adsorption/desorption of arsenite and arsenate on chitosan and nanochitosan

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Abstract

Equilibrium sorption studies of anionic species of arsenite, As(III) ions and arsenate As(V) ions onto two biosorbents, namely, chitosan and nanochitosan, have been investigated and compared. The results and trends in the sorption behavior are novel, and we have observed during the sorption process of the As(III) and As(V) on chitosan, a slow process of desorption occurred after an initial maximum adsorption capacity was achieved, before reaching a final but lower equilibrium adsorption capacity. The same desorption trend, however, is not observed on nanochitosan. The gradual desorption of As(III) and As(V) in the equilibrium sorption on chitosan is attributed to the different fractions of the dissociated forms of arsenic on the adsorbent surface and in solution and the extent of protonation of chitosan with the changing of solution pH during sorption. The change of solution pH during the sorption of arsenite ions on chitosan was also influenced by the interaction between the buffering effect of the arsenite species in the aqueous medium and the physical properties of chitosan. The final equilibrium adsorption capacity of chitosan for As(III) and As(V) was found to be around 500 and 8000 μg/g, respectively, whereas the capacities on nanochitosan are 6100 and 13,000 μg/g, respectively.

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Nomenclature

qe Equilibrium arsenic adsorption capacity (mmol/g)

qt Arsenic adsorption capacity (mmol/g) at time (t)

m Mass of adsorbent (g)

V Volume of arsenic solution for the adsorption (L)

C0 Initial concentration of arsenic in the solution (mM)

Ce Equilibrium concentration of arsenic in the solution (mM)

pHi Initial solution pH

pHe Equilibrium solution pH

DDA Degree of deacetylation

pKa Dissociation constant

pHpzc Point of zero charge

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Katrina C. M. Kwok & Len Foong Koong

  2. Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar

    Tareq Al Ansari & Gordon McKay

Authors
  1. Katrina C. M. Kwok
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  2. Len Foong Koong
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  3. Tareq Al Ansari
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  4. Gordon McKay
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Correspondence to Gordon McKay.

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Responsible editor: Guilherme L. Dotto

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Kwok, K.C.M., Koong, L.F., Al Ansari, T. et al. Adsorption/desorption of arsenite and arsenate on chitosan and nanochitosan. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 14734–14742 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1501-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-1501-9

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