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Experimental investigations of arsenic adsorption from contaminated water using chemically activated hematite (Fe2O3) iron ore

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Abstract

Indigenous hematite iron ore was chemically activated as a function of various hydrogen peroxide concentrations (0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2.0 M), activation time, and iron ore size. Adsorption potential was evaluated at various initial arsenic concentrations, contact time, adsorbent dose, and particle size. Maximum 95% removal efficiency was achieved at 600-μm size of iron ore, activated with 0.5 M concentration of hydrogen peroxide at 24 h of activation time. The experimental data were further evaluated through Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The maximum 14.46 mg/g of adsorption capacity was observed through Langmuir isotherm. Moreover, adsorption kinetics was evaluated using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics, and the intra-particle diffusion model. The kinetics of arsenic adsorption was best described by using the pseudo-first-order kinetics with a kinetic rate of 0.621 min−1. The hematite iron ore before and after arsenic adsorption was characterized by XRD, SEM, and EDX.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are highly thankful to the Mehran University of engineering and technology and Dawood University of engineering and technology for providing experimental facilities for this research study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Engineering Department, Dawood University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan

    Abdul Qayoom Memon, Shoaib Ahmed, Ghulamullah Maitlo, Abdul Karim Shah, Shaukat Ali Mazari, Atta Muhammad & Abdul Sattar Jatoi

  2. Chemical Engineering Department, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Pakistan

    Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti

  3. Department of Basic Sciences, Mathematics and Humanities, Dawood University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

    Ghulam Abbas Kandhro

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  1. Abdul Qayoom Memon
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  2. Shoaib Ahmed
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  4. Ghulamullah Maitlo
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  5. Abdul Karim Shah
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  6. Shaukat Ali Mazari
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  9. Ghulam Abbas Kandhro
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Contributions

AQM worked on adsorbent preparation and characterization of adsorbent and did batch experimental study.

SA performed the isothermal modeling and used Freundlich and Langmuir modeling approaches.

ZAB worked on the preparation of adsorbent.

GM performed the SEM, EDX, and XRD analyses.

AKH performed batch experimental study and analyzed different operational parameters.

SAM worked on kinetic modeling and observed behavior of intra-particle diffusion.

AM performed pseudo-first-order kinetics and pseudo-second-order kinetics.

ASJ analyzed the effect of H2O2 concentration.

GAK analyzed effect of adsorbent particle size and adsorbent dose.

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Correspondence to Abdul Qayoom Memon.

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Memon, A.Q., Ahmed, S., Bhatti, Z.A. et al. Experimental investigations of arsenic adsorption from contaminated water using chemically activated hematite (Fe2O3) iron ore. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 12898–12908 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11208-x

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