Green citrate-crosslinked glucoxylan adsorptive filtration system for efficient and regenerable removal of Pb(II), Cd(II), and Ni(II) from contaminated groundwater
摘要
The concentrations of Pb(II), Cd(II), and Ni(II) ions in the groundwater (GW) of the Sargodha region of Pakistan are significantly higher than the WHO and US EPA standards, and this could be among the major contributors to the increased prevalence of diseases in the population of this region. Therefore, in this study, an eco-friendly and renewable adsorptive filtration system was fabricated. Glucoxylan (GX) from chia seeds was extracted and cross-linked with citric acid (CA, 5% w/v) in the presence of a base to form its citrate/ester, i.e., citric acid cross-linked GX (CL-GX), which was further saponified to its sodium counterpart, i.e., Na-CL-GX. CL-GX and Na-CL-GX were characterized using FTIR, TGA, SEM, and EDX analyses. The zero point charge (pHZPC) of Na-CL-GX was 4.98 ± 0.06, indicating a negative surface charge. The maximum adsorption capacities of Na-CL-GX for Pb(II) (625.0 mg/g), Cd(II) (357.14 mg/g), and Ni(II) (185.19 mg/g) ions from GW were found at pH 6, Na-CL-GX dose 20 mg, initial metal ion concentration 130 mg/L, contact time 30 min, and temperature 298 K according to the Langmuir isothermal model. The values of the thermodynamic triplets (ΔS°, ΔH°, and ΔS°) were negative, indicating the spontaneous and exothermic nature of the adsorption process via the following ion-exchange mechanism: Moreover, an adsorptive filtration system was developed and applied to purify flowing water. In conclusion, Na-CL-GX appeared to be regenerable by maintaining high adsorption even after five adsorption-desorption cycles, making it a promising eco-friendly and reusable biomaterial for Pb(II), Cd(II), and Ni(II) source remediation.