Influence of chemical conditioning on the ion exchange capacity and on kinetic of zinc uptake by clinoptilolite

Cyanidiales-Based Bioremediation of Heavy Metals

With growing urbanization and ongoing development activities, the consumption of heavy metals has been increasing globally. Although heavy metals are vital for the survival of living beings, they can become hazardous when they surpass the permissible limit. The effect of heavy metals varies from normal to acute depending on the individual, so it is necessary to treat the heavy metals before releasing them into the environment. Various conventional treatment technologies have been used based on physical, chemical, and biological methods. However, due to technical and economic constraints and poor sustainability towards the environment, the use of these technologies has been limited. Microalgal-based heavy metal removal has been explored for the past few decades and has been seen as an effective, environment-friendly, and inexpensive method compared to conventional treatment technology. Cyanidiales that belong to red algae have the potential for remediation of heavy metals as they can withstand and tolerate extreme stresses of heat, acid salts, and heavy metals. Cyanidiales are the only photosynthetic organisms that can survive and thrive in acidic mine drainage, where heavy metal contamination is often prevalent. This review focuses on the algal species belonging to three genera of Cyanidiales: Cyanidioschyzon, Cyanidium, and Galdieria. Papers published after 2015 were considered in order to examine these species' efficiency in heavy metal removal. The result is summarized as maximum removal efficiency at the optimum experimental conditions and based on the parameters affecting the metal ion removal efficiency. This study finds that pH, initial metal concentration, initial algal biomass concentration, algal strains, and growth temperature are the major parameters that affect the heavy metal removal efficiency of Cyanidiales.

Copper and Zinc as Roofing Materials—A Review on the Occurrence and Mitigation Measures of Runoff Pollution

Stormwater runoff from metal roofs has been a significant subject of discussion, especially when it comes to its treatment and the target concentrations that need to be achieved prior to discharge into the aquatic environment. To raise further awareness on this issue, occurrence, characterization, and also mitigation measures for metal roof runoff were analyzed using the example of copper and zinc roofs. These stormwater runoffs were found to contain metals in significant concentrations, mainly due to the wash-off of corrosion products by precipitation. Factors influencing metal corrosion and runoff concentrations were compiled. As Cu and Zn mainly occur in dissolved and thus bioavailable forms in roof runoff, harmful effects on the environment were detected. Therefore, adequate treatment of the runoff before discharge to groundwater or surface water is necessary to protect the aquatic environment. Vegetated infiltration swales as an sustainable urban drainage system enable a reduction in pollution loads. However, especially in densely built-up urban areas, stormwater quality improvement devices (SQIDs) offer an attractive alternative for pre-treating metal roof runoff, as they are mostly located underground. There is not yet a uniform legal approval system for SQIDs in Germany, but the German state of Bavaria has approved four types of SQIDs according to its own developed test criteria.

Sorption of Heavy Metal Ions of Chromium, Manganese, Selenium, Nickel, Cobalt, Iron from Aqueous Acidic Solutions in Batch and Dynamic Conditions on Natural and Synthetic Aluminosilicate Sorbents

Zeolites are materials with known sorption properties. The sorption is thought to progress mainly by ion exchange with Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ or H⁺ from the zeolite exchange sites. The aim of the study was to compare the sorption properties of natural and synthetic zeolites on the example of the removal of selected metals from aqueous acidic solutions. Uptake experiments for selected ions of chromium, manganese, selenium, nickel, cobalt, and iron were performed using the batch and kinetic column methods. The sorption of the individual metal ions in mg per 1g of sorbent was determined for each sorbent. The relative affinity sequence of the examined cations toward the various sorbent was presented. The Langmuir model was used to model the adsorption equilibrium. Vermiculite under 1 mm of diameter (SF), Na-X, and Na-A were proved to be the most suitable for the individual uptake of studied metal ions. It was observed that the behavior of selenium ions differed from the remaining ones which was interpreted that selenium undergoes adsorption in the anionic form. The fixed-bed column studies were performed using Na-A, ensuring the sorption of selenium in the presence of iron(III) ions. The experiments were conducted using Na-X zeolite pre-loaded by Fe(III) as well as unmodified sorbent eluted by an equimolar mixture containing 100 ppm of Fe and Se. Obtained results prove that selenium sorption improves if other metal ions such as iron appear in the acidic solution. That efficient selenium sorption conditions can be applied to remove selenium which was recognized as toxic at higher levels.

Biosorption Mechanism of Aqueous Pb2+, Cd2+, and Ni2+ Ions on Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS)

Heavy metal pollution has been a focus with increasing attention, especially Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Ni²⁺ in an aqueous environment. The adsorption capacity and mechanism of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from Agrobacterium tumefaciens F2 for three heavy metals were investigated in this study. The adsorption efficiency of 94.67%, 94.41%, and 77.95% were achieved for Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Ni²⁺ adsorption on EPS, respectively. The experimental data of adsorption could be well fitted by Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm models, and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Model parameters analysis demonstrated the great adsorption efficiency of EPS, especially for Pb²⁺, and chemisorption was the rate-limiting step during the adsorption process. The functional groups of C=O of carboxyl and C-O-C from sugar derivatives in EPS played the major role in the adsorption process judged by FTIR. In addition, 3D-EEM spectra indicated that tyrosine also assisted EPS adsorption for three heavy metals. But EPS from strain F2 used the almost identical adsorption mechanism for three kinds of divalent ions of heavy metals, so the adsorption efficiency difference of Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Ni²⁺ on EPS could be correlated to the inherent characteristics of each heavy metal. This study gave the evidence that EPS has a great application potential as a bioadsorbent in the treatment of heavy metals pollution.

Enhanced microbial metabolism in one stage partial nitritation-anammox system treating low strength wastewater by novel composite carrier

One stage partial nitritation-anammox (PN-A) process has attracted more and more attention due to the low investment cost but the instability in treating low strength wastewater. In this study, for producing a novel composite carrier that could provide high ammonia microenvironment in low strength wastewater, the zeolites and floating materials were combined in the spherical shell and distributed evenly by the spherical polyhedron. And a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) with the composite carriers and ordinary carriers without zeolites as control group was operated for nearly 120 days. The PN-A process were realized in 53 days, and the total nitrogen removal efficiency reached around 85% at influent ammonium concentration of 50 mg/L finally. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the composite carriers showed significant promotion on the proliferation of ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and enrichment of anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB), accounting for 19.14% and 41.65% on the surface, respectively. Moreover, the existence of relative higher abundance of ammonia on the composite carrier surface was validated by the metabolite biomarker of glutamate and especially spermidine. The metabolomics analysis and 16S rRNA function prediction showed that the protein synthesis pathway was obviously upregulated on the composite carriers surface compared with that on the ordinary carriers surface. The higher abundance of glutamate and putrescine indicated that the composite carrier could stimulate the metabolism and growth of bacteria. The present study provided a functional carrier to realize the transformation of activated sludge system into PN-A system treating low strength wastewater, which is significant to the application of the process in mainstream.

Ultrasound Assisted Adsorptive Removal of Cr, Cu, Al, Ba, Zn, Ni, Mn, Co and Ti from Seawater Using Fe2O3-SiO2-PAN Nanocomposite: Equilibrium Kinetics

This work reports the preparation and application of Fe2O3-SiO2-PAN nanocomposite for the removal of Cr3+, Cu2+, Al3+, Ba2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Co2+, and Ti3+ from seawater. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) characterized the synthesized composite. The following experimental parameters (Extraction time, adsorbent mass and pH) affecting the removal of major and trace metals were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The applicability of the RSM model was verified by performing the confirmation experiment using the optimal condition and the removal efficiency ranged from 90% to 97%, implying that the model was valid. The adsorption kinetic data was described by the pseudo-second order model. The applicability of the materials was tested on real seawater samples (initial concentration ranging from 0.270–203 µg L−1) and the results showed satisfactory percentage efficiency removal that range from 98% to 99.9%. The maximum adsorption capacities were found to be 4.36, 7.20, 2.23, 6.60, 5.06, 2.60, 6.79, 6.65 and 3.00 mg g−1, for Cr3+, Cu2+, Al3+, Ba2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Co2+, and Ti4+, respectively.

Study on adsorption of rhodamine B onto Beta zeolites by tuning SiO2/Al2O3 ratio

The exploration of the relationship between zeolite composition and adsorption performance favored to facilitate its better application in removal of the hazardous substances from water. The adsorption capacity of rhodamine B (RB) onto Beta zeolite from aqueous solution was reported. The relationship between SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratio and adsorption capacity of Beta zeolite for RB was explored. The structure and physical properties of Beta zeolites with various SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratios were determined by XRD, FTIR, TEM, BET, UV-vis and so on characterizations. The adsorption behavior of rhodamine B onto Beta zeolite matched to Langmuir adsorption isotherm and more suitable description for the adsorption kinetics was a pseudo-second-order reaction model. The maximum adsorption capacity of the as-prepared Beta zeolite with SiO₂/Al₂O₃ = 18.4 was up to 27.97mg/g.

Valorization of Wasted Black Tea as a Low-Cost Adsorbent for Nickel and Zinc Removal from Aqueous Solution

Characteristics and efficiency of wasted black tea (WBT) were investigated as a low-cost sorbent in removal of Ni2+and Zn2+ions from aqueous solution. Initial findings showed WBT potential to be applied as an effective sorbent due to high concentrations of carbon and calcium and high porosity and availability of functional groups. Sorption dynamics were studied with varying pH, contact time, and adsorbent dose. Maximum percentages of metal ions removal were recorded at pH 5, contact time 250 min, and 20 g/L of adsorbent concentration. Binary metal sorption studies showed that Ni2+and Zn2+do not compete with each other for available sorption sites, so the adsorption trend in binary system appears similar to monocomponent metal adsorption. Evaluation of the isotherms confirmed that WBT has high value of adsorption capacity. Sorption data fitted well with both Freundlich and Langmuir models. In the optimum conditions, maximum capacity of WBT could reach up to 90.91 mg-Ni/g adsorbent and 166.67 mg-Zn/g adsorbent. This experiment demonstrated the ability of tea waste as an effective, sustainable, and low-cost adsorbent for removal of the heavy metal ions.

Comparative assessment of compost and zeolite utilisation for the simultaneous removal of BTEX, Cd and Zn from the aqueous phase: Batch and continuous flow study

The present study focuses on the comparison of two materials, compost from municipal solid waste and natural zeolite for the simultaneous removal of petroleum hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes - BTEX) and toxic metals from groundwater. First, batch experiments were conducted to identify the optimal removal conditions. All of the kinetic experiments were fitted to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model; equilibrium was reached within approximately 8 h for the zeolite and 12 h for the compost. An increase in the adsorbent dose and the pH value as well as a decrease in the initial concentration enhanced the pollutants' removal. The removal selectivity of both materials with slight differences follows the order Cd > Zn & toluene > ethylbenzene > m- & p-xylene > o-xylene > benzene. According, to the results derived from the continuous flow experiments the maximum adsorption capacity of the compost (90%) referred to Cd (0.88 mmol/g) whereas the minimum refers to benzene (65%) with a capacity up to 0.065 mmol/g. Zeolite had lower efficiencies for the studied pollutants with a higher performance corresponding to Cd (0.26 mmol/g), whereas the minimum zeolite capacity (63%) corresponds to toluene (0.045 mmol/g). Thus, this paper provides evidence that compost, a low cost material produced from waste, is capable for the simultaneous removal of both organic and inorganic pollutants from wastewater, and its performance is superior to zeolite.

Copper removal using bio-inspired polydopamine coated natural zeolites

Herein, for the first time, natural clinoptilolite-rich zeolite powders modified with a bio-inspired adhesive, polydopamine (PDA), have been systematically studied as an adsorbent for copper cations (Cu(II)) from aqueous solution. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed successful grafting of PDA onto the zeolite surface. The effects of pH (2-5.5), PDA treatment time (3-24h), contact time (0 to 24h) and initial Cu(II) ion concentrations (1 to 500mgdm(-3)) on the adsorption of Cu(II) ions were studied using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and neutron activation analysis (NAA). The adsorption behavior was fitted to a Langmuir isotherm and shown to follow a pseudo-second-order reaction model. The maximum adsorption capacities of Cu(II) were shown to be 14.93mgg(-1) for pristine natural zeolite and 28.58mgg(-1) for PDA treated zeolite powders. This impressive 91.4% increase in Cu(II) ion adsorption capacity is attributed to the chelating ability of the PDA on the zeolite surface. Furthermore studies of recyclability using NAA showed that over 50% of the adsorbed copper could be removed in mild concentrations (0.01M or 0.1M) of either acid or base.

Benzene carboxylic acid derivatized graphene oxide nanosheets on natural zeolites as effective adsorbents for cationic dye removal

Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were grafted to acid-treated natural clinoptilolite-rich zeolite powders followed by a coupling reaction with a diazonium salt (4-carboxybenzenediazoniumtetrafluoroborate) to the GO surface. Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed successful grafting of GO nanosheets onto the zeolite surface. The application of the adsorbents for the adsorption of rhodamine B from aqueous solutions was then demonstrated. After reaching adsorption equilibrium the maximum adsorption capacities were shown to be 50.25, 55.56 and 67.56 mg g(-1) for pristine natural zeolite, GO grafted zeolite (GO-zeolite) and benzene carboxylic acid derivatized GO-zeolite powders, respectively. The adsorption behavior was fitted to a Langmuir isotherm and shown to follow a pseudo-second-order reaction model. Further, a relationship between surface functional groups, pH and adsorption efficiency was established. Results indicate that benzene carboxylic acid derivatized GO-zeolite powders are environmentally favorable adsorbents for the removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solutions.

A review on zinc and nickel adsorption on natural and modified zeolite, bentonite and vermiculite: examination of process parameters, kinetics and isotherms

Adsorption and ion exchange can be effectively employed for the treatment of metal-contaminated wastewater streams. The use of low-cost materials as sorbents increases the competitive advantage of the process. Natural and modified minerals have been extensively employed for the removal of nickel and zinc from water and wastewater. This work critically reviews existing knowledge and research on the uptake of nickel and zinc by natural and modified zeolite, bentonite and vermiculite. It focuses on the examination of different parameters affecting the process, system kinetics and equilibrium conditions. The process parameters under investigation are the initial metal concentration, ionic strength, solution pH, adsorbent type, grain size and concentration, temperature, agitation speed, presence of competing ions in the solution and type of adsorbate. The system's performance is evaluated with respect to the overall metal removal and the adsorption capacity. Furthermore, research works comparing the process kinetics with existing reaction kinetic and diffusion models are reviewed as well as works examining the performance of isotherm models against the experimental equilibrium data.

The effect of zeolite treatment by acids on sodium adsorption ratio of coal seam gas water

Many coal seam gas (CSG) waters contain a sodium ion concentration which is too high relative to calcium and magnesium ions for environment acceptance. Natural zeolites can be used as a cheap and effective method to control sodium adsorption ratio (SAR, which is a measure of the relative preponderance of sodium to calcium and magnesium) due to its high cation exchange capacity. In this study, a natural zeolite from Queensland was examined for its potential to treat CSG water to remove sodium ions to lower SAR and reduce the pH value. The results demonstrate that acid activated zeolite at 30%wt solid ratio can reduce the sodium content from 563.0 to 182.7 ppm; the pH from 8.74 to 6.95; and SAR from 70.3 to 18.5. Based on the results of the batch experiments, the sodium adsorption capacity of the acid-treated zeolite is three times greater than that of the untreated zeolite. Both the untreated and acid-treated zeolite samples were characterized using zeta potential, surface characterization, DTA/TG and particle size distribution in order to explain their adsorption behaviours.

The investigation of kinetic and isotherm of fluoride adsorption onto functionalize pumice stone

In this research work, pumice that is functionalized by the cationic surfactant, hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium (HDTMA), is used as an adsorbent for the removal of fluoride from drinking water. This work was carried out in two parts. The effects of HDTMA loading, pH (3-10), reaction time (5-60 min) and the adsorbent dosage (0.15-2.5 g L(-1)) were investigated on the removal of fluoride as a target contaminate from water through the design of different experimental sets in the first part. The results from this first part revealed that surfactant-modified pumice (SMP) exhibited the best performance at dose 0.5 g L(-1), pH 6, and it adsorbs over 96% of fluoride from a solution containing 10 mg L(-1) fluoride after 30 min of mixing time. The four linear forms of the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms model were applied to determine the best fit of equilibrium expressions. Apart from the regression coefficient (R(2)), four error functions were used to validate the isotherm and kinetics data. The experimental adsorption isotherm complies with Langmuir equation model type 1. The maximum amount of adsorption (Q(max)) was 41 mg g(-1). The kinetic studies indicated that the adsorption of fluoride best fitted with the pseudo-second-order kinetic type 1. Thermodynamic parameters evaluation of fluoride adsorption on SMP showed that the adsorption process under the selected conditions was spontaneous and endothermic. The suitability of SMP in defluoridation at field condition was investigated with natural groundwater samples collected from a nearby fluoride endemic area in the second part of this study. Based on this study's results, SMP was shown to be an affordable and a promising option for the removal of fluoride in drinking water.

Removal of heavy metal ions from wastewaters: a review

Heavy metal pollution has become one of the most serious environmental problems today. The treatment of heavy metals is of special concern due to their recalcitrance and persistence in the environment. In recent years, various methods for heavy metal removal from wastewater have been extensively studied. This paper reviews the current methods that have been used to treat heavy metal wastewater and evaluates these techniques. These technologies include chemical precipitation, ion-exchange, adsorption, membrane filtration, coagulation-flocculation, flotation and electrochemical methods. About 185 published studies (1988-2010) are reviewed in this paper. It is evident from the literature survey articles that ion-exchange, adsorption and membrane filtration are the most frequently studied for the treatment of heavy metal wastewater.

Properties and applications of zeolites

Zeolites are aluminosilicate solids bearing a negatively charged honeycomb framework of micropores into which molecules may be adsorbed for environmental decontamination, and to catalyse chemical reactions. They are central to green-chemistry since the necessity for organic solvents is minimised. Proton-exchanged (H) zeolites are extensively employed in the petrochemical industry for cracking crude oil fractions into fuels and chemical feedstocks for other industrial processes. Due to their ability to perform cation-exchange, in which the cations that are originally present to counterbalance the framework negative charge may be exchanged out of the zeolite by cations present in aqueous solution, zeolites are useful as industrial water-softeners, in the removal of radioactive Cs+ and Sr2+ cations from liquid nuclear waste and in the removal of toxic heavy metal cations from groundwaters and run-off waters. Surfactant-modified zeolites (SMZ) find particular application in the co-removal of both toxic anions and organic pollutants. Toxic anions such as arsenite, arsenate, chromate, cyanide and radioactive iodide can also be removed by adsorption into zeolites that have been previously loaded with co-precipitating metal cations such as Ag+ and Pb2+ which form practically insoluble complexes that are contained within the zeolite matrix.

On-site infiltration of a copper roof runoff: role of clinoptilolite as an artificial barrier material

On-site infiltration may be considered as a promising way of managing rainwater runoffs in urban areas, provided the hydrological and ecological conditions allow infiltration, and provided there is adequate treatment of the contaminants to avoid a risk of soil and groundwater pollution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of the application of a new technical infiltration system equipped with clinoptilolite as an artificial barrier material for the treatment of the copper roof runoff of the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Germany. During the 2-yr sampling period, 30 rain events were examined. The cover material of the roof and the drainage system was responsible for the high copper concentrations in the roof runoff. The rain height and the rain intensity were of great significance regarding the establishment of the copper runoff rate. The technical infiltration system applied was able to reduce the copper from the roof runoff by a factor up to 96%. The mean measured copper concentration in percolation water was lower than the critical value of 50 microg/l set by the German Federal Soil Protection Act and Ordinance, indicating no risk for soil and groundwater contamination.

The performance of BAF using natural zeolite as filter media under conditions of low temperature and ammonium shock load

Natural zeolite and expanded clay were used as filter media for biological aerated filter (BAF) to treat municipal wastewater in parallel in whole three test stages. The stage one test results revealed that zeolite BAF and expanded clay BAF have COD and NH(3)-N removals in the range of 84.63-93.11%, 85.74-96.26%, 82.34-93.71%, and 85.06-93.2%, respectively, under the conditions of water temperature of 20-25 degrees C and hydraulic load of 2-3m(3)/(m(2)h). At the following stage two, the influent NH(3)-N concentration was increased to about double value of the stage one, and it was investigated that the effluent NH(3)-N of expanded clay BAF increased significantly and then gradually restored to normal condition in 2 weeks, while the effluent NH(3)-N of zeolite BAF kept stable. At stage three, the low reactor temperature has also different effects on these two BAFs, under conditions of water temperature of 7-10 degrees C, hydraulic load of 2-3m(3)/(m(2)h), zeolite BAF and expanded clay BAF have COD and NH(3)-N removals in the range of 74.5-88.47% (average of 81.57%), 71.73-88.49% (average of 81.06%), 71.91-87.76% (average of 80.49%), and 38.41-77.17% (average of 65.42%), respectively. Three stages test results indicated that the zeolite BAF has a stronger adaptability to NH(3)-N shock load and low temperature compared to expanded clay BAF. In addition, the detection of the amounts of heterobacteria and nitrobacteria of two biological aerated filters in three stages also showed the zeolite filter media was more suitable to the attached growth of nitrobacteria, which is helpful to the improvement of nitrification performance in zeolite BAF.

Use of natural clinoptilolite for the removal of lead, copper and zinc in fixed bed column

This work deals with the removal of lead, copper and zinc from aqueous solutions by using natural zeolite (clinoptilolite). Fixed bed experiments were performed, using three different volumetric flow rates of 5, 7 and 10bed volume/h, under a total normality of 0.01N, at initial pH of 4 and ambient temperature (25 degrees C). The removal efficiency increased when decreasing the flow rate and the following selectivity series was found: Pb(2+)>Zn(2+)> or =Cu(2+). Conductivity measurements showed that lead removal follows mainly ion exchange mechanism, while copper and zinc removal follows ion exchange and sorption mechanism as well.

Improving the performance of sequencing batch reactor (SBR) by the addition of zeolite powder

Two types of operation means "SBR reactor alone (control reactor)" and "adding zeolite powder into SBR reactor (test reactor)" were used to treat municipal wastewater. The test results revealed that zeolite powder addition could improve the activity of the activated sludge. It was investigated the specific oxygen utilization rate (SOUR) of the tested zeolite sludge were about double times that of the control activated sludge, and the nitrification rate and settling property of zeolite-activated sludge were both improved. Due to the combination of zeolite adsorption for NH(4)(+)-N and enhanced simultaneous nitrification and de-nitrification (SND), a higher nitrogen removal was observed in test reactor compared to the control reactor, and the addition of zeolite powder is helpful to inhabit sludge bulking. In addition, through long-term parallel shock load test, it was found that the zeolite powder addition could enhance the ability of activated sludge in resisting the shock load of organics and ammonium. Compared to the control activated sludge, zeolite powder added activated sludge could remove COD, NH(4)(+)-N, TN and TP significantly in a shorter cycle time. At the same operational time period, the test SBR could treat wastewater quantity 1.22 times that treated in control SBR.