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Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions

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A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Wastewater Treatment and Reuse".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 46748

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cristina Palet

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Guest Editor

Grup de Tècniques de Separació en Química, Unitat Química Analítica, Departament de Química, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Interests: separation science; analytical chemistry; membrane technologies; environmental science; green chemistry; materials science; nanosystems; water treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Julio Bastos-Arrieta

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
2. Institut de Recerca de l’Aigua (IdRA), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Interests: nanomaterials; surface science; water treatment; green chemistry; characterization techniques; material science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water pollution is a global problem threatening the entire biosphere and affecting the life of many millions of people. It is not only one of the foremost global risk factors for illness, diseases and death, as it also contributes to the continuous reduction of the available drinkable water sources worldwide. Delivering valuable solutions, which are easy to implement and affordable, often remains a challenge.

Heavy metal ions are some of the most harmful and widespread contaminants, with adverse effects to the environment. Actually, they are one of deadly contaminants in ground water across the globe. Biosorption of heavy metals by metabolically inactive non-living biomass of microbial or plant origin is an innovative and alternative technology for removal of these pollutants from aqueous solution.

This Special Issue attempts to summarize the state-of-the-art of current macro-, micro- and nanotechnologies for water purification, discussing their field of application specially for heavy metal ion removal.

For instance, this Special Issue aims to present the recently available information on utilizing different biomass materials for heavy metals removal, highlighting the increasing use of these materials due to their low cost, regeneration ability, high adsorption efficiency, and small chemical or biological sludge with a possibility of metal recovery.

Furthermore, the selected contributions will be considered from the technology used in each case, and in the context of their sustainability. One important purpose of this Special Issue is to ensure the possible implementation in real applications of technologic tools developed under interesting research funded projects. So, this Special Issue will mainly focus on sustainable efficient approaches, that provide innovation and ease to implementation.

Dr. Cristina Palet
Dr. Julio Bastos-Arrieta
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Water treatment
Heavy metals
Biomass
Biosorption
Remediation
Nanotechnology

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Published Papers (14 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

2 pages, 179 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Sustainable Processes for the Removal of Heavy Metals from Aquatic Systems

by Julio Bastos-Arrieta and Cristina Palet

Water 2023, 15(4), 761; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15040761 - 15 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1514

Abstract

Water pollution is a global problem threatening the entire biosphere and affecting the life of many millions of people [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

19 pages, 4275 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Agro-Industrial Waste as Potential Heavy Metal Adsorbents and Subsequent Safe Disposal of Spent Adsorbents

by Daiana Simón, Cristina Palet, Agustín Costas and Adrián Cristóbal

Water 2022, 14(20), 3298; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14203298 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3504

Abstract

Water pollution is an environmental problem that affects the ecosystem and living beings. Adsorption is one of the best technologies for the removal of heavy metals. Since waste recovery is the basis of the Circular Economy, agro-industrial waste is emerging as low-cost adsorbents for these pollutants from wastewater. Residues of pine sawdust, sunflower seed hulls and corn residues mix were evaluated as adsorbents of synthetic aqueous solutions of Ni(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II). These residues were characterized to determine their structure and composition, and to understand the adsorption mechanism. Adsorption efficiencies and capacities for the adsorbents and adsorbates were determined and compared. From the obtained results, it is possible to affirm that all biomasses used are good alternatives to the synthetic materials, with adsorption efficiencies greater than 50%. The order of adsorption was Cd > Zn > Ni. At the concentration range checked, adsorption efficiencies decreased in sawdust when a mixture of all metals together was considered (as present in real sewage). Finally, the heavy metals were immobilized, with efficiencies over 88.5%, in clay ceramics (as brick’s precursors). This procedure would help to minimize the contamination that could be generated by the disposal of spent adsorbents, rarely explored in the literature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions)

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17 pages, 5497 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coffee Husk and Lignin Revalorization: Modification with Ag Nanoparticles for Heavy Metals Removal and Antifungal Assays

by Daniel Fernando Guevara-Bernal, Marlon Yesid Cáceres Ortíz, Jorge Andrés Gutiérrez Cifuentes, Julio Bastos-Arrieta, Cristina Palet and Angélica María Candela

Water 2022, 14(11), 1796; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14111796 - 2 Jun 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2952

Abstract

This study presents the use of the modified coffee husk and coffee lignin as sorbents in the heavy metal ions sorption of Pb(II), Cd(II), Cr(III), and Cu(II) in an aqueous solution. The modification of sorbents was carried out by the impregnation method, using silver nitrate (AgNO₃) and sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) as a nanoparticles’ (NPs) precursor, and reducing agent, respectively. The obtained nanocomposite material was morphologically characterized by electron microscopy. In addition, an evaluation of metal ions’ sorption, pseudo-first-order, and pseudo-second-order kinetics modeling was performed. Finally, antifungal activity was evaluated on different Candida species. Coffee and lignin modified with AgNPs increased the extraction capacity with the highest sorption for Pb ions with 2.56 mg/g and 1.44 mg/g, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions)

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17 pages, 3979 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Elimination of Chromium (VI) and Nickel (II) Ions in a Packed Column Using Oil Palm Bagasse and Yam Peels

by Angel Villabona-Ortíz, Candelaria Tejada-Tovar and Ángel Darío González-Delgado

Water 2022, 14(8), 1240; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14081240 - 12 Apr 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2044

Abstract

The single-component adsorption of chromium (VI) and nickel (II) on oil palm bagasse (OPB) and yam peels (YP) in a packed bed column was explored and improved using a central 2²-star T composite design. The temperature, bed height, and particle size were evaluated, and the optimized response variable was the removal efficiency. The remaining concentration of heavy metals in solution was determined by Ultraviolet–Visible and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. It was found that bioadsorbents have a porous structure, with the presence of functional groups such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amino, which favor adsorption processes, and that the adsorption mechanisms controlling the process is cation exchange, precipitation, and complexation on the exposed surface of the biomaterials. In the adsorption trials, removal percentages higher than 87% were obtained in all cases, showing better results in the removal of Cr(VI), and that particle size is the most influential factor. Maximum Cr(VI) capacities of 111.45 mg g⁻¹ and 50.12 mg g⁻¹ were achieved on OPB and YP, respectively, while for nickel values of 103.49 mg g⁻¹ and 30.04 mg g⁻¹ were obtained. From the adjustment of the breakthrough curve to the models, it was determined that the model best able to adjust the data was the Thomas model, and the thermodynamic parameters of Cr(VI) and Ni(II) removal suggest that the process on YP is endothermic, while on OPB it is exothermic. In both biomaterials, the process is controlled by spontaneous chemisorption with a great affinity of the active centers for the ions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions)

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15 pages, 2693 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the SBA-15 Silica and ETS-10 Titanosilicate as Efficient Adsorbents for Cu(II) Removal from Aqueous Solution

by Doina Humelnicu, Inga Zinicovscaia, Ionel Humelnicu, Maria Ignat, Nikita Yushin and Dmitrii Grozdov

Water 2022, 14(6), 857; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14060857 - 9 Mar 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2301

Abstract

The efficiency of Cu(II) removal from aqueous solution by two adsorbents, silica SBA-15 and titanosilicate ETS-10, was investigated. Effects of various experimental parameters such as: contact time, pH, initial copper concentration, adsorbent dosage, temperature were investigated in order to determine the maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbents. The maximum adsorption capacity of silica SBA-15 was achieved at pH 5.0, and of titanosilicate ETS-10 at pH 6.0. The Freundlich, Langmuir, and Temkin isotherm models were applied in order to describe the equilibrium adsorption of Cu(II) by the studied adsorbents. Equilibrium data fitted well to the Langmuir model with a higher adsorption capacity of ETS-10 (172.53 mg·g⁻¹) towards Cu(II) than SBA-15 (52.71 mg·g⁻¹). Pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order, Elovich, and Weber–Morris intraparticle diffusion models were used for description of the experimental kinetic data. It was found that the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were the best applicable models to describe the adsorption kinetic data. Thermodynamic parameters that characterize the process indicated that the adsorption of Cu(II) onto the two adsorbents is spontaneous and endothermic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions)

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15 pages, 2895 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Equilibrium, Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Chromium (VI) Adsorption on Inert Biomasses of Dioscorea rotundata and Elaeis guineensis

by Angel Villabona-Ortíz, Ángel González-Delgado and Candelaria Tejada-Tovar

Water 2022, 14(6), 844; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14060844 - 8 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2352

Abstract

Adsorption equilibrium and kinetics on lignocellulosic base adsorbents from oil palm bagasse (OPB) and yam peels (YP) were studied for the removal of hexavalent chromium present in aqueous solution, in a batch system, evaluating the effect of temperature, adsorbent dose and particle size on the process. Isotherms were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin–Radushkevich isothermal models. Kinetic data were adjusted to the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and Elovich models. Thermodynamic parameters were estimated by the van’t Hoff method. From characterization of adsorbents, the presence of a porous surface typical of lignocellulosic materials was found, with hydroxyl, amine and carboxyl functional groups. It was also found that the highest adsorption capacity was obtained at 0.03 g of adsorbent, 55 °C and 0.5 mm, reporting an adsorption capacity of 325.88 and 159 mg/g using OPB and YP, respectively. The equilibrium of adsorption on OPB is described by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, while that of YP is described by Dubinin–Radushkevich’s model, indicating that the adsorption is given by the ion exchange between the active centers and the metallic ions. A maximum adsorption capacity was obtained of 63.83 mg/g with OPB and 59.16 mg/g using YP, according to the Langmuir model. A kinetic study demonstrated that equilibrium time was 200 min for both materials; kinetic data were described by pseudo-second-order and Elovich models, thus the mechanism of Cr (VI) adsorption onto the evaluated materials is dominated by a chemical reaction. The thermodynamic study determined that the elimination of YP is endothermic, irreversible and not spontaneous, while for OPB it is exothermic, spontaneous at low temperatures and irreversible. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions)

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13 pages, 2564 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Removal of Various Hazardous Materials Using a Multifunctional Biomass-Derived Hydroxyapatite (HAP) Catalyst and Its Antibacterial Effects

by Sanha Jang, Kyeongmun Park, Sehwan Song, Haksoo Lee, Sungkyun Park, Buhyun Youn and Kanghyun Park

Water 2021, 13(22), 3302; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13223302 - 22 Nov 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3039

Abstract

In the present study, oyster shells, a cause of environmental pollution, were employed effectively to synthesize hydroxyapatite (HAP) by facile oxidation and phosphorylation. The ability of HAP to adsorb various metal cations and inhibit bacterial growth was validated. The biomass-derived HAP catalyst exhibited high metal cation adsorption in water at room temperature and under various acidic conditions (M = Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Cd, Ba, and Pb). HAP was demonstrated to have a maximum removal efficiency of 92.8% for the heavy metal Pb. Even under different pH conditions, HAP was demonstrated to be effective for the removal of three harmful heavy metals, Cr, Cd, and Pb, with a particularly high removal efficiency demonstrated for Pb under all conditions (average removal efficiency of Cr: 63.0%, Cd: 59.9%, and Pb: 91.6%). In addition, HAP had a significant influence on phosphate ion adsorption in aqueous solution, eliminating 98.1% after 3 min. Furthermore, biomass-derived HAP was demonstrated to have significant antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus (5 mM: 74% and 78.1%, 10 mM: 89.6% and 96.0%, respectively). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions)

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21 pages, 4589 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Highly Efficient Removal of Cu(II) Ions from Acidic Aqueous Solution Using ZnO Nanoparticles as Nano-Adsorbents

by Eduardo Leiva, Camila Tapia and Carolina Rodríguez

Water 2021, 13(21), 2960; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13212960 - 20 Oct 2021

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3686

Abstract

Water pollution by heavy metals has significant effects on aquatic ecosystems. Copper is one of the heavy metals that can cause environmental pollution and toxic effects in natural waters. This encourages the development of better technological alternatives for the removal of this pollutant. This work explores the application of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) for the removal of Cu(II) ions from acidic waters. ZnO NPs were characterized and adsorption experiments were performed under different acidic pHs to evaluate the removal of Cu(II) ions with ZnO NPs. The ZnO NPs were chemically stable under acidic conditions. The adsorption capacity of ZnO NPs for Cu(II) was up to 47.5 and 40.2 mg·g⁻¹ at pH 4.8 and pH 4.0, respectively. The results revealed that qmax (47.5 mg·g⁻¹) and maximum removal efficiency of Cu(II) (98.4%) are achieved at pH = 4.8. In addition, the surface roughness of ZnO NPs decreases approximately 70% after adsorption of Cu(II) at pH 4. The Cu(II) adsorption behavior was more adequately explained by Temkin isotherm model. Additionally, adsorption kinetics were efficiently explained with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. These results show that ZnO NPs can be an efficient alternative for the removal of Cu(II) from acidic waters and the adsorption process was more efficient under pH = 4.8. This study provides new information about the potential application of ZnO NPs as an effective adsorbent for the remediation and treatment of acidic waters contaminated with Cu(II). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions)

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11 pages, 18189 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Cotton Linter Nanocellulose for Complexation of Ca, Fe, Mg and Mn in Effluent Organic Matter

by Vinícius de Jesus Carvalho de Souza, José Cláudio Caraschi, Wander Gustavo Botero, Luciana Camargo de Oliveira and Danielle Goveia

Water 2021, 13(19), 2765; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13192765 - 6 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2201

Abstract

Effluent organic matter (EfOM) is present in different domestic and industrial effluents, and its capacity to hold metallic ions can interfere in the wastewater treatment process. Due to the low quality of water, new sustainable technologies for this purpose have become extremely important, with the development of renewable-source nanomaterials standing out in the literature. Nanocellulose (NC) deserves to be highlighted in this context due to its physicochemical characteristics and its natural and abundant origin. In this context, the interactions between NC extracted from cotton linter, organic matter fraction (humic substances) and metal ions have been evaluated. Free metal ions (Ca, Fe, Mg and Mn) were separated by ultrafiltration and quantified by atomic absorption spectrometry. The nanomaterial obtained showed potential for the treatment of effluents containing iron even in the presence of organic matter. The probable interaction of organic matter with NC prevents the efficient removal of calcium, magnesium and manganese. For these elements, it is desirable to increase the interaction between metal and NC by modifying the surface of the nanomaterial. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions)

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20 pages, 2761 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Recovery of Cr(III) from Tannery Effluents by Diafiltration Using Chitosan Modified Membranes

by Asmaa Zakmout, Fatma Sadi, Svetlozar Velizarov, João G. Crespo and Carla A. M. Portugal

Water 2021, 13(18), 2598; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13182598 - 21 Sep 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2678

Abstract

The selective recovery of chromium remaining in tannery effluents after the leather tanning process is highly desirable to potentiate its reuse, simultaneously minimizing the ecotoxicity of these effluents. To the best of our knowledge, this work evaluates for the first time the ability of a chitosan-based membrane for selective recovery of chromium from a tannery wastewater by subsequent diafiltration and selective chromium desorption, envisaging their integration after tannery wastewater treatment by reverse osmosis (RO). A polyethersulfone (PES) microfiltration membrane top-coated with a chitosan layer (cs-PES MF022) was used for selective recovery of Cr(III), from concentrate streams obtained by treatment of synthetic and real tannery effluents through reverse osmosis (RO), through a diafiltration process. The diafiltration of the RO concentrates was conducted by an intermittent addition of water acidified to pH 3.6. The prepared cs-PES MF022 membranes were able to retain 97% of the total mass of Cr(III) present in the RO concentrates, from a real tannery effluent, with a selectivity of 4.2 and 5 in reference to NH₄⁺ and Cl⁻, respectively, 12.9 and 14.6 in reference to K and Na, and >45 in reference to Mg, Ca, and S. Such a high selectivity is explained by the preferential adsorption of Cr(III) onto chitosan, and by the relatively high permeability of cs-PES MF022 membranes to the other ionic species. Proof of concept studies were performed to investigate the desorption of Cr(III) at pH 2 and 5.8. A higher Cr(III) desorption degree was obtained at pH 2, leading to a final solution enriched in Cr(III), which may be re-used in tannery operations, thus improving the process economy and reducing the hazardous impact of the effluents discharged by this industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions)

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20 pages, 2295 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Time Evolution Study of the Electric Field Distribution and Charge Density Due to Ion Movement in Salty Water

by Vasileios Bartzis and Ioannis E. Sarris

Water 2021, 13(16), 2185; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13162185 - 10 Aug 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2860

Abstract

Desalination and water purification through the ion drift of salted water flow due to an electric field in a duct is perhaps a feasible membrane-free technology. Here, the unsteady modulation of ion drift is treated by employing the Poison–Nernst–Plank (PNP) equations in the linear regime. Based on the solution of the PNP equations, the closed-form relationships of the charge density, the ion concentration, the electric field distribution and its potential are obtained as a function of position and time. It is found that the duration of the ion drift is of the order of one second or less. Moreover, the credibility of various electrical circuit models is examined and successfully compared with our solution. Then, the closed form of the surface charge density and the potential that are calculated without the linear approximation showed that the compact layer is crucial for the ion confinement near the duct walls. To test this, nonlinear solutions of the PNP equations are obtained, and the limits of accuracy of the linear theory is discussed. Our results indicate that the linear approximation gives accurate results only at the fluid’s bulk but not inside the double layer. Finally, the important issue of electric field diminishing at the fluid’s bulk is discussed, and a potential method to overcome this is proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions)

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11 pages, 2166 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Removal of Cobalt (II) from Waters Contaminated by the Biomass of Eichhornia crassipes

by Ismael Acosta-Rodríguez, Adriana Rodríguez-Pérez, Nancy Cecilia Pacheco-Castillo, Erika Enríquez-Domínguez, Juan Fernando Cárdenas-González and Víctor-Manuel Martínez-Juárez

Water 2021, 13(13), 1725; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13131725 - 22 Jun 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3916

Abstract

Due to the increase in contamination of aquatic niches by different heavy metals, different technologies have been studied to eliminate these pollutants from contaminated aquatic sources. So the objective of this work was to determine the removal of cobalt (II) in aqueous solution by the biomass of the aquatic lily or water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) which, is one of the main weeds present in fresh water, due to its rapid reproduction, growth, and high competitiveness, by the colorimetric method of the methyl isobutyl ketone. The removal was evaluated at different pHs (4.0–8.0) for 28 h. The effect of temperature in the range from 20 °C to 50 °C and the removal at different initial concentrations of cobalt (II) of 100 to 500 mg/L was also studied. The highest bioadsorption (100 mg/L) was at 28 h, at pH 5.0 and 28 °C, with a removal capacity of 73.1%, which is like some reports in the literature. Regarding the temperature, the highest removal was at 50 °C, at 28 h, with a removal of 89%. At the metal and biomass concentrations analyzed, its removal was 82% with 400–500 mg/L, and 100% with 5 g of natural biomass at 20 h. In addition, this completely removes the metal in situ (100 mg/L in contaminated water, at 7 days of incubation, with 10 g of natural biomass in 100 mL). So, the natural biomass can be used to remove it from industrial wastewater, even if in vivo, only eliminate 17.3% in 4 weeks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions)

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12 pages, 2486 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Adsorption Mechanism of Chromium(VI) Ion Using Ni-Al Type and Ni-Al-Zr Type Hydroxides

by Fumihiko Ogata, Noriaki Nagai, Ayako Tabuchi, Megumu Toda, Masashi Otani, Chalermpong Saenjum, Takehiro Nakamura and Naohito Kawasaki

Water 2021, 13(4), 551; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13040551 - 21 Feb 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3132

Abstract

To evaluate the feasibility of nickel–aluminum (the Ni²⁺:Al³⁺ molar ratios of 1.0:1.0 and 1.0:2.0 are denoted as NA11 and NA12, respectively) and nickel–aluminum–zirconium type (the Ni²⁺:Al³⁺:Zr⁴⁺ molar ratios of 0.9:1.0:0.09 and 0.9:2.0:0.09 are denoted as NAZ1 and NAZ2, respectively) hydroxides for Cr(VI) removal from aqueous media, the adsorption capability and adsorption mechanism of Cr(VI) using the above-mentioned adsorbents were investigated in this study. The quantity of Cr(VI) adsorbed onto NA11, NA12, NAZ1, and NAZ2 was 25.5, 25.6, 24.1, and 24.6 mg g⁻¹, respectively. However, the quantity of aluminum (base metal) released from NA11 (approximately 0.14 mg g⁻¹) was higher than that from NAZ1 (approximately 1.0 µg g⁻¹), indicating that NAZ1 was more suitable for Cr(VI) removal than NA11. In addition, the effects of pH, contact time, and temperature on the adsorption of Cr(VI) were evaluated. Moreover, to elucidate the adsorption mechanism of Cr(VI) using NA11 and NAZ1, the elemental distribution, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry spectra, and ion exchange capability were also determined. Cr(VI) adsorbed onto the NAZ1 surface was easily desorbed using a sodium hydroxide solution under our experimental conditions. The information regarding this study can be useful for removing Cr(VI) from aqueous media. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions)

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Review

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26 pages, 2608 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Removal of Heavy Metals during Primary Treatment of Municipal Wastewater and Possibilities of Enhanced Removal: A Review

by Ida Sylwan and Eva Thorin

Water 2021, 13(8), 1121; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13081121 - 19 Apr 2021

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 8728

Abstract

Resource reuse has become an important aspect of wastewater management. At present, use of sludge in agriculture is one of the major reuse routes. Conventional municipal wastewater treatment does not involve any designated process for removal of heavy metals, and these distribute mainly between effluent and sludge. Enhanced removal of heavy metals during primary treatment may decrease the heavy metal concentrations in both effluent and sludge from secondary treatment and promote long-term reuse of secondary sludge. This review considers heavy metal occurrence and removal during primary settling, together with possible treatment technologies for heavy metal removal in primary settlers and their theoretical performance. The variation in total heavy metal concentrations and dissolved fraction in raw municipal wastewater points to a need for site-specific assessments of appropriate technologies for improved heavy metal removal. Studies examining the heavy metal speciation beyond dissolved/particulate are few. Missing or disparate information on process parameters such as hydraulic retention time, pH and composition of return flows makes it hard to generalize the findings from studies concerning heavy metal removal in primary settlers. Coagulation/flocculation and use of low-cost sorbents were identified as the most promising methods for enhancing heavy metal removal during primary settling. Based on the available data on heavy metal speciation and removal during primary settling, sorption technologies may be most effective for enhancing the removal of Cu and Ni, while coagulation may be efficient for Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn and Hg removal (but not as efficient for Ni removal). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Processes for the Removing of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions)

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