Quantifying effects of pH and surface loading on arsenic adsorption on NanoActive alumina using a speciation-based model

  • Xiao Hong Guan
  • , Tingzhi Su
  • , Jianmin Wang*
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

34 Scopus citations

Abstract

Arsenic (As) poses a significant water quality problem and challenge for the environmental engineers and scientists throughout the world. Batch tests were carried out in this study to investigate the adsorption of As(V) on NanoActive alumina. The arsenate adsorption envelopes on NanoActive alumina exhibited broad adsorption maxima when the initial As(V) loading was less than a 50 mg g-1 sorbent. As the initial As(V) loading increased to 50 mg g-1 sorbent, a distinct adsorption maximum was observed at pH 3.2-4.6. FTIR spectra revealed that only monodentate complexes were formed upon the adsorption of arsenate on NanoActive alumina over the entire pH range and arsenic loading conditions examined in this study. A speciation-based adsorption model was developed to describe arsenate adsorption on NanoActive alumina and it could simulate arsenate adsorption very well in a broad pH range of 1-10, and a wide arsenic loading range of 0.5-50 mg g-1 adsorbent. Only four adjustable parameters, including three adsorption constants, were included in this model. This model offers a substantial improvement over existing models in accuracy and simplification in quantifying pH and surface loading effects on arsenic adsorption.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)39-45
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Hazardous Materials
Volume166
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 Jul 2009
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Adsorption
  • Alumina
  • Arsenic
  • FTIR
  • Speciation-based model

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