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Biowaste-based sorbents for arsenic removal from aqueous medium and risk assessment

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Abstract

Water contamination by arsenic (As) is widespread and is posing serious health threats globally. Hence, As removal techniques/adsorbents need to be explored to minimize potentials hazards of drinking As-contaminated waters. A column scale sorption experiment was performed to assess the potential of three biosorbents (tea waste, wheat straw and peanut shells) to remove As (50, 100, 200 and 400 µg L−1) from aqueous medium at a pH range of 5–8. The efficiency of agricultural biosorbents to remove As varies greatly regarding their type, initial As concentration in water and solution pH. It was observed that all of the biosorbents efficiently removed As from water samples. The maximum As removal (up to 92%) was observed for 400 µg L−1 initial As concentration. Noticeably, at high initial As concentrations (200 and 400 μg L−1), low pH (5 and 6) facilitates As removal. Among the three biosorbents, tea waste biosorbent showed substantial ability to minimize health risks by removing As (up to 92%) compared to peanut shells (89%) and wheat straw (88%). Likewise, the values of evaluated risk parameters (carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk) were significantly decreased (7–92%: average 66%) after biosorption experiment. The scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray and X-ray diffraction analyses confirmed the potential of biosorbents to remediate As via successful loading of As on their surfaces. Hence, it can be concluded that synthesized biosorbents exhibit efficient and ecofriendly potential for As removal from contaminated water to minimize human health risk.

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Acknowledgements

Authors thank HEC-Pakistan for project (NRPU-7770).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Vehari, 61100, Pakistan

    Maham Akhtar Nagra, Natasha Natasha, Muhammad Shahid, Behzad Murtaza, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Shafique Khalid, Nasir Masood & Ghulam Mustafa Shah

  2. Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan

    Irshad Bibi & Nabeel Khan Niazi

  3. Department of Botany, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Sub-Campus Vehari, Multan, Pakistan

    Tasveer Zahra Tariq

  4. Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Rabia Naz

  5. Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 10219, Riyadh, 11433, Saudi Arabia

    Sabah Ansar

  6. DYNAFOR, Dynamiques et écologie des paysages agriforestiers, UMR INRAE, INP, Toulouse, France

    Camille Dumat

Authors
  1. Maham Akhtar Nagra
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  2. Natasha Natasha
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  9. Muhammad Imran
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  12. Ghulam Mustafa Shah
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  13. Nabeel Khan Niazi
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Contributions

M.A. Nagra performed the research work and write-up of first draft; Natasha helped in research work and improved the first draft; I. Bibi reviewed and edited manuscript; S. Ansar reviewed and edited manuscript; T.Z. Tariq reviewed and edited manuscript; R. Naz reviewed and edited manuscript; M Shahid performed conceptualization, formal analysis, writing original draft and supervision; B. Murtaza reviewed and edited manuscript; M Imran reviewed and edited manuscript; M.S. Khalid co-supervised research work, N. Masood co-supervised research work, N.K. Niazi reviewed the and edited manuscript, G.M. Shah reviewed the and edited manuscript, C. Dumat made final revision and improvement.

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Correspondence to Muhammad Shahid.

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Nagra, M.A., Natasha, N., Bibi, I. et al. Biowaste-based sorbents for arsenic removal from aqueous medium and risk assessment. Environ Geochem Health 45, 9017–9028 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-022-01402-w

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