Adsorptive removal of aqueous arsenic (V) from contaminated water using Latin American bamboo biochar: a systematic study.

SNYDER, A.; MUSSER, S.; ALCHOURON, JACINTA; NAVARATHNA, C.; CHLUDIL, H. D.; ANDREA S. VEGA; MLSNA, T. E.

Mississippi

Simposio; Undergraduate summer research symposium; 2019

Mississippi State University

Bamboo biochar, an economic and sustainable material, originating from discarded culms of a native Latin American species (Gudua chacoensis), was evaluated for the sorptive removal of As(V) from water. Two biochars were compared; raw biochar (BC) which was produced using slow pyrolysis at 700 oC for 1 h, and its chemically co-precipitated iron-nano particle dispersed analogue (BC-Fe). The surface properties of the adsorbents were examined by SEM, PZC and BET. Fixed-bed column sorption was carried out at different pH?s (5, 7 and 9), and breakthrough curves were used to describe its performance. The regeneration of the beds was evaluated by employing 1M solutions of ammonium sulfate, potassium hydroxide, and potassium phosphate. The effect of competing ions on As (V) adsorption onto BC and BC-Fe was tested in the presence of ten different ions (sulfate, phosphate, nitrate, chloride, acetate, dichromate, carbonate, fluoride, selenite, molybdate) at three different concentrations (0.01 mM, 0.1 mM, 1 mM). The adsorption capacity and the ability of BC and BC-Fe to provide water free of arsenic (V) was evaluated using a natural contaminated water from a domestic drinking faucet in Altamirano, near Buenos Ares, Argentina in both batch and fixed-bed column studies. As (V) quantification was done using ICP-MS instrument. This bamboo biochar can be considered as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective adsorbent candidate to provide arsenic (V) free water.