Abstract
The development of environmentally friendly magnetic nanoadsorbents has attracted considerable attention due to their potential applications in various fields, including environmental remediation. In this study, a novel magnetic nanoadsorbent was synthesized using spirulina algae powder and eco-friendly chitosan to remove mercury ions from aqueous solutions. The synthesized magnetic nanoadsorbent was characterized using various techniques including X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and vibrating sample magnetometry. Response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the magnetic nanoadsorbent in removing mercury ions by investigating several important parameters, including the pH of a solution, contact time, initial concentration and adsorbent dosage. The results showed that the magnetic nanoadsorbent exhibited high adsorption capacities toward mercury ions, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 58.8 mg/g under specific conditions, including a contact time of 35 min, an initial concentration of 55 mg/L, a pH of 4.25 and an adsorbent dosage of 25 mg/g. In addition, the Freundlich isotherm model effectively fits the experimental data. Overall, the developed magnetic nanoadsorbent composed of spirulina algae powder and chitosan provides an environmentally friendly and efficient solution for the removal of mercury ions from polluted water sources.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agarwal P, Gupta R, Agarwal N (2019) Advances in synthesis and applications of microalgal nanoparticles for wastewater treatment. J Nanotechnol 2019:7392713. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/7392713
Alprol AE, Mansour AT, Abdelwahab AM, Ashour M (2023) Advances in green synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles by marine algae for wastewater treatment by adsorption and photocatalysis techniques. Catalysts 13:888. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13050888
Alshandoudi LM, Alkindi SR, Alhatmi TY, Hassan AF (2023) Synthesis and characterization of nano zinc oxide/zinc chloride–activated carbon composite based on date palm fronds: adsorption of methylene blue. Biomass Convers Biorefinery. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-023-03815-8
Al-Sulaiti MM, Soubra L, Al-Ghouti MA (2022) The causes and effects of mercury and methylmercury contamination in the marine environment: a review. Curr Pollut Rep 8:249–272. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40726-022-00226-7
Basu N, Abass K, Dietz R, Kruemmel E, Rautio A, Weihe P (2022) The impact of mercury contamination on human health in the Arctic: a state of the science review. Sci Total Environ 831:154793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154793
Benettayeb A et al (2023) Chitosan nanoparticles as potential nano-sorbent for removal of toxic. Environ Pollut Nanomater 13:447. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13030447
Branca C, D’Angelo G, Crupi C, Khouzami K, Rifici S, Ruello G, Wanderlingh U (2016) Role of the OH and NH vibrational groups in polysaccharide-nanocomposite interactions: a FTIR-ATR study on chitosan and chitosan/clay films. Polymer 99:614–622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2016.07.086
Budnik LT, Casteleyn L (2019) Mercury pollution in modern times and its socio-medical consequences. Sci Total Environ 654:720–734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.408
Chen X, Hossain MF, Duan C, Lu J, Tsang YF, Islam MS, Zhou Y (2022) Isotherm models for adsorption of heavy metals from water: a review. Chemosphere 307:135545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135545
Chen Z, Osman AI, Rooney DW, Oh W-D, Yap P-S (2023) Remediation of heavy metals in polluted water by immobilized algae: current applications and future perspectives. Sustainability 15:5128. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065128
Damiri F et al (2022) Recent advances in adsorptive nanocomposite membranes for heavy metals ion removal from contaminated water: a comprehensive review. Materials 15:5392. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15155392
Duan Z et al (2018) Characterization and adsorption properties of cross-linked yeast/β-cyclodextrin polymers for Pb (ii) and Cd (ii) adsorption. RSC Adv 8:31542–31554. https://doi.org/10.1039/C8RA06171H
Gerson JR et al (2022) Amazon forests capture high levels of atmospheric mercury pollution from artisanal gold mining. Nat Commun 13:559. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-27997-3
Hondros ED, Seah MP (1977) The theory of grain boundary segregation in terms of surface adsorption analogues. Metall Trans A 8:1363–1371. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02642850
Iqhrammullah M, Saleha S, Maulina FP, Idroes R (2020) Polyurethane film prepared from ball-milled algal polyol particle and activated carbon filler for NH3–N removal. Heliyon 6:e04590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04590
Jalilvand H, Feyzi F, Dehghani MR (2020) Adsorption of dimethyl sulfide from model fuel on raw and modified activated carbon from walnut and pistachio shell origins: kinetic and thermodynamic study. Colloids Surf A 593:124620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2020.124620
Kassab Z, Boujemaoui A, Ben Youcef H, Hajlane A, Hannache H, El Achaby M (2019) Production of cellulose nanofibrils from alfa fibers and its nanoreinforcement potential in polymer nanocomposites. Cellulose 26:9567–9581. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-019-02767-5
Kaur M, Kumari S, Sharma P (2020) Removal of Pb (II) from aqueous solution using nanoadsorbent of Oryza sativa husk: isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic studies. Biotechnol Rep 25:e00410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.btre.2019.e00410
Kazemi A, Bakhtiari AR, Kheirabadi N, Barani H, Haidari B (2012) Distribution patterns of metals contamination in sediments based on type regional development on the intertidal coastal zones of the Persian Gulf, Iran. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 88:100–103. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-011-0412-y
Li J et al (2023) Adsorption behavior and adsorption dynamics of micrometer-sized polymer microspheres on the surface of quartz sand. Processes 11:1432. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051432
Ma J, Zhao J, Zhu Z, Li L, Yu F (2019) Effect of microplastic size on the adsorption behavior and mechanism of triclosan on polyvinyl chloride. Environ Pollut 254:113104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113104
Mo Z, Tai D, Zhang H, Shahab A (2022) A comprehensive review on the adsorption of heavy metals by zeolite imidazole framework (ZIF-8) based nanocomposite in water. Chem Eng J 443:136320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2022.136320
Nejad MS, Sheibani H (2022) Super-efficient removal of arsenic and mercury ions from wastewater by nanoporous biochar-supported poly 2-aminothiophenol. J Environ Chem Eng 10:107363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2022.107363
Neolaka YA, Lawa Y, Naat JN, Riwu AA, Iqbal M, Darmokoesoemo H, Kusuma HS (2020) The adsorption of Cr (VI) from water samples using graphene oxide-magnetic (GO-Fe3O4) synthesized from natural cellulose-based graphite (kusambi wood or Schleichera oleosa): study of kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics. J Mater Res Technol 9:6544–6556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2020.04.040
Priya N, Kaur K, Sidhu AK (2021) Green synthesis: an eco-friendly route for the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles. Front Nanotechnol 3:655062. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2021.655062
Punia P, Bharti MK, Dhar R, Thakur P, Thakur A (2022) Recent advances in detection and removal of heavy metals from contaminated water. ChemBioEng Reviews 9:351–369. https://doi.org/10.1002/cben.202100053
Qu Y, Qin L, Liu X, Yang Y (2022) Magnetic Fe3O4/ZIF-8 composite as an effective and recyclable adsorbent for phenol adsorption from wastewater. Sep Purif Technol 294:121169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2022.121169
Rakati KK, Mirzaei M, Maghsoodi S, Shahbazi A (2019) Preparation and characterization of poly aniline modified chitosan embedded with ZnO-Fe3O4 for Cu (II) removal from aqueous solution. Int J Biol Macromol 130:1025–1045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.02.033
Ramesh B, Saravanan A, Kumar PS, Yaashikaa P, Thamarai P, Shaji A, Rangasamy G (2023) A review on algae biosorption for the removal of hazardous pollutants from wastewater: limiting factors, prospects and recommendations. Environ Pollut 327:121572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121572
Rashid S, Shah IA, Tulcan RXS, Rashid W, Sillanpaa M (2022) Contamination, exposure, and health risk assessment of Hg in Pakistan: a review. Environ Pollut 301:118995. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118995
Rezaei A, Rezaei MR, Sayadi MH (2021a) 3D network structure graphene hydrogel-Fe3O4@ SnO2/Ag via an adsorption/photocatalysis synergy for removal of 2, 4 dichlorophenol. J Taiwan Inst Chem Eng 121:154–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2021.03.048
Rezaei A, Rezaei MR, Sayadi MH (2021b) Enhanced 3, 5-dimethylphenol photodegradation via adsorption-photocatalysis synergy using FSTRG nanohybrid catalyst. J Mol Liq 335:116546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2021.116546
Saravanan A, Kumar PS, Hemavathy R, Jeevanantham S, Harikumar P, Priyanka G, Devakirubai DRA (2022) A comprehensive review on sources, analysis and toxicity of environmental pollutants and its removal methods from water environment. Sci Total Environ 812:152456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152456
Sayadi MH, Rashki O, Shahri E (2019) Application of modified Spirulina platensis and Chlorella vulgaris powder on the adsorption of heavy metals from aqueous solutions. J Environ Chem Eng 7:103169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2019.103169
Sayadi MH, Homaeigohar S, Rezaei A, Shekari H (2021) Bi/SnO2/TiO2-graphene nanocomposite photocatalyst for solar visible light–induced photodegradation of pentachlorophenol. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28:15236–15247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11708-w
Shalaby SM, Madkour FF, El-Kassas HY, Mohamed AA, Elgarahy AM (2021) Green synthesis of recyclable iron oxide nanoparticles using Spirulina platensis microalgae for adsorptive removal of cationic and anionic dyes. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28:65549–65572. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15544-4
Sharma J, Sharma M, Nigam S, Joshi M (2023) Environmental-friendly algal-mediated magnetic activated carbon for adsorptive removal of contaminants from water. Chem Phys Impact 6:100169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chphi.2023.100169
Shoorangiz M, Sherafat Z, Bagherzadeh E (2022) CNT loaded PVDF-KNN nanocomposite films with enhanced piezoelectric properties. Ceram Int 48:15180–15188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.02.047
Stefanakis AI (2019) The role of constructed wetlands as green infrastructure for sustainable urban water management. Sustainability 11:6981. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11246981
Tian Y, Xu Z, Liu Z, Si X, Zhang F, Jiang W (2022) Fe3O4@ SiO2@VAN nanoadsorbent followed by GC-MS for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at ultra-trace levels in environmental water samples. Nanomaterials 12:2921. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12172921
Wei Y, Han B, Hu X, Lin Y, Wang X, Deng X (2012) Synthesis of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and their magnetic properties. Procedia Eng 27:632–637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2011.12.498
World Health Organization (2023) Addressing climate change: supplement to the WHO water, sanitation and hygiene strategy 2018–2025. World Health Organization, Geneva
Xiao Y et al (2022) Pollution characteristics and risk assessments of mercury in Jiutai, a county region thriving on coal mining in Northeastern China. Sustainability 14:10366. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610366
Zadeh RJ, Sayadi MH, Rezaei MR (2021) Synthesis of Thiol modified magMCM-41 nanoparticles with rice husk ash as a robust, high effective, and recycling magnetic sorbent for the removal of herbicides. J Environ Chem Eng 9:104804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2020.104804
Zadvarzi SB, Khavarpour M, Vahdat SM, Baghbanian SM, Rad AS (2021) Synthesis of Fe3O4@ chitosan@ ZIF-8 towards removal of malachite green from aqueous solution: theoretical and experimental studies. Int J Biol Macromol 168:428–441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.12.067
Zaidi R, Khan SU, Farooqi I, Azam A (2021) Rapid adsorption of Pb (II) and Cr (VI) from aqueous solution by aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles: Equilibrium and kinetic evaluation. Mater Today Proc 47:1430–1437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.03.224
Zebari OIH, Demirelli K, Zeebaree SYS, Tuncer H (2023) Synthesis cobalt complexed single chain polymer and its nanographene-based composites, electrical, optical, and thermal properties. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2729633/v1
Zhang Y-L, Zhang J, Dai C-M, Zhou X-F, Liu S-G (2013) Sorption of carbamazepine from water by magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers based on chitosan-Fe3O4. Carbohydr Polym 97:809–816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2013.05.072
Zhang Y, Hamza MF, Vincent T, Roux J-C, Faur C, Guibal E (2022) Tuning the sorption properties of amidoxime-functionalized algal/polyethyleneimine beads for La (III) and Dy (III) using EDTA: impact of metal speciation on selective separation. Chem Eng J 431:133214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2021.133214
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Editorial responsibility: J. Chen.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Fathipoor, T., Emtyazjoo, M., Kazemi, A. et al. Investigating the efficacy of chitosan-modified magnetic Spirulina biosorbent for mercury removal from aqueous solutions: isotherm model analysis. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 21, 4807–4816 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-05395-6
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-05395-6