Abstract
After alkaline hydrothermal conversion of volcanic tephra to zeolite (VT-Z) particles, calcium ion cross-linked alginate-zeolite composites (VT-Z/CA) were subsequently fabricated as sorbents for enhancing removal of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution. The naturally occurring VT minerals were used as silica and alumina sources for zeolite crystallization. The conversion conditions were optimized by altering the alkaline concentration, conversion time, temperature and addition of ethanol. After the synthesized VT-Z particles were entrapped into CA biopolymer template, the developed VT-Z/CA composites not only make full use of the excellent adsorption capabilities of zeolites but also prevent the major problems of mobility/agglomeration for zeolite particles in aqueous media. The VT-Z/CA composites were characterized and studied for aqueous removal of Cu(II) ions in a batch mode. Solution pH 5.5 was found to be the best choice. The kinetic data were evaluated by the pseudo-first, pseudo-second order, and Elovich model. The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-first model. Langmuir isotherm best described the adsorption behavior with the maximum adsorption capacity for Cu(II) at 121.1 mg g−1 (45 °C). The composites were successfully explored for treatment of Cu(II)-bearing livestock farm wastewater in China. The VT-Z/CA composites offer a highly attractive alternative for remediating heavy metal contaminated water with advantages of being easy to operate, cost-effective, biodegradable, and environmentally benign.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen, S., Mckay, G., & Porter, J. (2004). Adsorption isotherm models for basic dye adsorption by peat in single and binary component systems. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 280, 322–333.
Ali, I. (2012). New generation adsorbents for water treatment. Chemical Reviews, 12, 5073–5091.
Arnal, N., de Alaniz, M., & Marra, C. (2012). Cytotoxic effects of copper overload on human-derived lung and liver cells in culture. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, General Subjects, 1820, 931–939.
Babel, S., & Kurniawan, T. (2003). Low-cost adsorbents for heavy metals uptake from contaminated water: a review. Journal of Hazardous Materials, B97, 219–243.
Bailey, S., Olin, T., Bricka, R., & Adrian, D. (1999). A review of potentially low-cost sorbents for heavy metals. Water Research, 33, 2469–2479.
Cang, C., Wang, Y., Zhou, D., & Dong, Y. (2004). Heavy metals pollution in poultry and livestock feeds and manures under intensive farming in Jiangsu Province, China. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 16, 371–374.
Chen, J., Tendeyong, F., & Yiacoumi, S. (1997). Equilibrium and kinetic studies of copper ion uptake by calcium alginate. Environmental Science & Technology, 31, 1433–1439.
Chen, W., Li, L., Zhang, W., Xu, F., Niu, M., Wang, J., & Wang, Y. (2014). Microwave-assisted dried volcanic tephra/calcium alginate composite for phosphate removal from micro-polluted wastewater. Clean: Soil, Air, Water, 42, 561–570.
Chien, S., & Clayton, W. (1980). Application of Elovich equation to the kinetics of phosphate release and sorption in soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 44, 265–268.
Choi, J., Yang, K., Kim, D., & Lee, C. (2009). Adsorption of zinc and toluene by alginate complex impregnated with zeolite and activated carbon. Current Applied Physics, 9, 694–697.
Crini, G. (2006). Non-conventional low-cost adsorbents for dye removal: a review. Bioresource Technology, 97, 1061–1085.
Cumbal, L., & Sengupta, A. (2005). Arsenic removal using polymer-supported hydrated iron(III) oxide nanoparticles: role of Donnan membrane effect. Environmental Science & Technology, 39, 6508–6515.
Ćurković, L., Cerjan-Stefanović, Š., & Filipan, T. (1997). Metal ion exchange by natural and modified zeolite. Water Research, 31, 1379–1382.
Freundlich, H. (1906). Über die absorption in lösungen. Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie, 57, 384–470.
Fu, F., & Wang, Q. (2011). Removal of heavy metal ions from wastewaters: a review. Journal of Environmental Management, 92, 407–418.
Gaetke, L., & Chow, C. (2003). Copper toxicity, oxidative stress, and antioxidant nutrients. Toxicology, 189, 147–163.
Han, R., Zhang, L., Song, C., Zhang, M., Zhu, H., & Zhang, L. (2010). Characterization of modified wheat straw, kinetic and equilibrium. Study about copper Ion and methylene blue adsorption in batch mode. Carbohydrate Polymers, 79, 1140–1149.
Ho, Y. (2004). Citation review of Lagergren kinetic rate equation on adsorption reactions. Scientometrics, 59, 171–177.
Ho, Y., & Mckay, G. (1999). Pseudo-second order model for sorption processes. Process Biochemistry, 34, 451–465.
Holmes, S., Khoo, S., & Kovo, A. (2011). The direct conversion of impure natural kaolin into pure zeolite catalysts. Green Chemistry, 13, 1152–1154.
Langmuir, I. (1918). The adsorption of gases on plane surfaces of glass, mica and platinum. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 40, 1361–1403.
Li, N., & Bai, R. (2005). Copper adsorption on chitosan-cellulose hydrogel beads: behaviors and mechanisms. Separation and Purification Technology, 42, 237–247.
Li, Y., Liu, F., & Xia, B. (2010). Removal of copper from aqueous solution by carbon nanotube/calcium alginate composites. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 177, 876–880.
Lin, C., & Hsi, H. (1995). Resource recovery of waste fly ash: synthesis of zeolite-like materials. Environmental Science & Technology, 29, 1109–1117.
Lin, L., & Bai, H. (2013). Efficient method for recycling silica materials from waste powder of the photonic industry. Environmental Science & Technology, 47, 4636–4643.
Liu, H., & Wang, C. (2014). Chitosan scaffolds for recyclable adsorption of Cu(II) ions. RSC Advances, 4, 3864–3872.
Ma, H., Yao, Q., Fu, Y., Ma, C., & Dong, X. (2010). Synthesis of zeolite of type a from bentonite by alkali fusion activation using Na2CO3. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 49, 454–458.
Nibou, D., Mekatel, H., Amokrane, S., Barkat, M., & Trari, M. (2010). Adsorption of Zn2+ ions onto NaA and NaX zeolites: kinetic, equilibrium and thermodynamic studies. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 173, 637–646.
Persson, A., Schoeman, B., Sterte, J., & Otterstedt, J. (1995). Synthesis of stable suspensions of discrete colloidal zeolite (Na, TPA)ZSM-5 crystals. Zeolites, 15, 611–619.
Sakthivel, T., Reid, D., Goldstein, I., Hench, L., & Seal, S. (2013). Hydrophobic high surface area zeolites derived from fly ash for oil spill remediation. Environmental Science & Technology, 47, 5843–5850.
Sharma, P., Yeo, J., Yu, J., Han, M., & Cho, C. (2014). Effect of ethanol as an additive on the morphology and crystallinity of LTA zeolite. Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers, 45, 689–704.
Shen, B., Wang, P., Yi, Z., Zhang, W., Tong, X., Liu, Y., et al. (2009). Synthesis of zeolite β from kaolin and its catalytic performance for FCC naphtha aromatization. Energy and Fuels, 23, 60–64.
Stafiej, A., & Pyrzynska, K. (2007). Adsorption of heavy metal ions with carbon nanotubes. Separation and Purification Technology, 58, 49–52.
Su, Y., Zhang, W., Xu, F., & Chen, W. (2015). Natural volcanic tephra for phosphate removal from rural micro-polluted wastewater. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 226, 2258.
Vieira, R., Oliveira, M., Guibal, E., Rodríguez-Catellón, E., & Beppu, M. (2011). Copper, mercury and chromium adsorption on natural and crosslinked chitosan films: an XPS investigation of mechanism. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 374, 108–114.
Wan, M., Kan, C., & Rogel, B. (2010). Adsorption of copper (II) and lead (II) ions from aqueous solution on chitosan-coated sand. Carbohydrate Polymers, 80, 891–899.
Wang, J., & Chen, C. (2009). Biosorbents for heavy metals removal and their future. Biotechnology Advances, 27, 195–226.
Wei, H., Wang, Y., Jin, J., Gao, L., Yun, S., & Jin, B. (2007). Timescale and evolution of the intracontinental Tianchi volcanic shield and ignimbrite-forming eruption, Changbaishan, Northeast China. Lithos, 96, 315–324.
Weng, C., Tsai, C., & Chu, S. (2007). Adsorption characteristics of copper(II) onto spent activated clay. Separation and Purification Technology, 54, 187–197.
WHO (2006) Guidelines for drinking water quality, first ed. World Health Organization, Switzerland.
Wu, D., Lu, Y., Kong, H., Ye, C., & Jin, X. (2008). Synthesis of zeolite from thermally treated sediment. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 47, 295–302.
Yao, J., Zhang, L., & Wang, H. (2008). Synthesis of nanocrystalline sodalite with organic additives. Materials Letters, 62, 4028–4030.
Yusof, A., Nizam, N., & Rashid, N. (2010). Hydrothermal conversion of rice husk ash to faujasite-types and NaA-type of zeolite. Journal of Porous Materials, 17, 39–47.
Zhu, J., Zhu, Y., Zhu, L., Rigutto, M., van der Made, A., et al. (2014). Highly mesoporous single-crystalline zeolite beta synthesized using a nonsurfactant cationic polymer as a dual-function template. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 136, 2503–2510.
Zou, W., Han, R., Chen, Z., Zhang, J., & Shi, J. (2006). Kinetic study of adsorption of Cu(II) and Pb(II) from aqueous solutions using manganese oxide coated zeolite in batch mode. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 279, 238–246.
Acknowledgments
The following financial supports are acknowledged: the Ministry of Science and Technology, China (China-Slovakia 5-8 and 6-13), and the Shanghai Science and Technology Committee (12142200500). The FAAS, XPS, and TGA analyses were conducted at the Instrumental Analysis Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic Supplementary Material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Fig. S1
(DOCX 97 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, Y., Luo, M., Xu, F. et al. Conversion of Volcanic Tephra to Zeolites for Calcium Ion Cross-Linked Alginate-Zeolite Composites for Enhanced Aqueous Removal of Cu(II) Ions. Water Air Soil Pollut 226, 286 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-015-2554-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-015-2554-8