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Hexavalent chromium removal from aqueous solution by adsorption on modified zeolites coated with Mg-layered double hydroxides

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Abstract

In this study, MgAl-LDHs and MgFe-LDHs were synthesized via co-precipitation method and in situ coated on pre-washed zeolites through dipping process in beaker. The obtained modified zeolites and original zeolites were utilized as substrates of constructed rapid infiltration systems (CRIS) to remove hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in wastewater. Micro-morphology features and chemical composition of zeolites before and after modification were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF). The SEM, XRD, and XRF results demonstrated the feasibility of LDHs coated on the surface of the original zeolites. Purification experiments in simulated CRIS showed that the Cr(VI) removal rates of zeolites/MgAl-LDHs increased by 110.03% on average every concentration (0.5–16 mg L−1) compared with the original zeolites under 24-h HRT. The adsorption capacity of zeolites/MgAl-LDHs reached 66.98 mg kg−1 at 32 mg L−1 initial Cr(VI) concentration, which is nearly twice that of the original zeolites (33.24 mg kg−1) and 1.5 times higher than that of zeolites/MgFe-LDHs (42.01 mg kg−1). Isothermal adsorption tests showed that the Freundlich isotherm equations gave better fitting to the adsorption process. And zeolites/MgAl-LDHs showed a best fit with pseudo-second-order model which meant that the adsorption of Cr(VI) by zeolites/MgAl-LDHs was dominated by chemisorption. Thermodynamic parameters showed that the process of adsorption for the three substrates was spontaneous and endothermic intrinsically. Zeolites/MgAl-LDHs also displayed nearly 60% desorption rate with low concentration eluent (0.01 mol L−1 NaCl). Therefore, zeolites/MgAl-LDHs were chosen out as an optimal substrate for removing Cr(VI) from wastewater in CRIS.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Material Research and Testing Center, Wuhan University of Technology, for their technical support of the characteristics of the original and modified substrates.

Funding

This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 31670541, 31270573).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Wuhan University of Technology, 122, Luoshi Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430070, China

    Xiangling Zhang, Jingtian Gao, Shuangjie Zhao, Yu Lei, Ye Yuan, Chunyan He, Chenguang Gao & Lichu Deng

  2. School of Energy and Environment, Inner Mongolia University of Science & Technology, Baotou, 014010, China

    Jingtian Gao

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  1. Xiangling Zhang
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  2. Jingtian Gao
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  4. Yu Lei
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  5. Ye Yuan
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Correspondence to Xiangling Zhang.

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Highlights

• Zeolites/MgAl-LDHs showed an eminent Cr(VI) adsorption and desorption performance.

• Chemisorption dominated in Cr(VI) adsorption process by zeolites/MgAl-LDHs.

• Desorption of Cr(VI)-loaded zeolites/MgAl-LDHs can be achieved by 0.01 mol L−1 NaCl.

Xiangling Zhang and Jingtian Gao are co-first authors

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Zhang, X., Gao, J., Zhao, S. et al. Hexavalent chromium removal from aqueous solution by adsorption on modified zeolites coated with Mg-layered double hydroxides. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 32928–32941 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06410-5

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