Journal Article

Comparative efficiency of peanut shell and peanut shell biochar for removal of arsenic from water

Rizwan, Muhammad, Shakoor, Muhammad Bilal, Ali, Shafaqat, Niazi, Nabeel Khan, Jilani, Asim, Sattar, Muhammad Sohail

2019

Overview

Contamination of surface water and groundwater streams with carcinogenic chemicals such as arsenic (As) has been a major environmental issue worldwide, and requires significant attention to develop new and low-cost sorbents to treat As-polluted water. In the current study, arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)) removal efficiency of peanut shell biochar (PSB) was compared with peanut shell (PS) in aqueous solutions. Sorption experiments showed that PSB possessed relatively higher As removal efficiency than PS, with 95% As(III) (at pH 7.2) and 99% As(V) (at pH 6.2) with 0.6 g L −1 sorbent dose, 5 mg L −1 initial As concentration, and 2 h equilibrium time. Experimental data followed a pseudo-second-order model for sorption kinetics showing the dominance of chemical interactions (surface complexation) between As and surface functional groups. The Langmuir model for sorption isotherm indicated that As was sorbed via a monolayer sorption process. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analyses revealed that the hydroxyl (–OH) and aromatic surface functional (C=O, C=C–C, and –C–H) groups contributed significantly in the sorption of both As species from aqueous solutions through surface complexation and/or electrostatic reactions. We demonstrate that the pyrolysis of abandoned PS yields a novel, low-cost, and efficient biochar which provides dual benefits of As-rich water treatment and a value-added sustainable strategy for solid waste disposal.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Aquatic Pollution / Aqueous solutions / Arsenates / Arsenic / Arsenite / arsenites / Biochar / carcinogenicity / Carcinogens / Chemical interactions / Complexation / Contamination / Earth and Environmental Science / Ecotoxicology / Efficiency / Environment / Environmental Chemistry / Environmental Health / Environmental science / Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy / Fourier transforms / Functional groups / Groundwater / Infrared analysis / Legumes / Low cost / moieties / Organic chemistry / peanut hulls / Peanuts / pH effects / Photoelectron spectroscopy / Photoelectrons / Pollutant removal / Pyrolysis / Reaction kinetics / Research Article / Solid waste disposal / Solid wastes / Sorbents / Sorption / sorption isotherms / Spectroscopy / Spectrum analysis / streams / Surface water / Surface-groundwater relations / value added / Waste disposal / Waste Water Technology / Water Management / Water pollution / Water Pollution Control / Water quality / Water treatment / X ray photoelectron spectroscopy