Abstract:
The contamination of heavy metals into the natural environment has resulted in anumber of environmental problems. Cadmium, used in several processes such asmetallurgical processes, mining and plastic manufacturing, is extremely toxic atrelatively low dosages and cannot be destroyed in the natural environment. There areseveral different technologies for treating heavy metals bearing waste streams. Theseinclude chemical precipitation, solvent extraction, ion exchange and membraneprocesses. However, these processes have several disadvantages, which includeincomplete metal removal and expensive when heavy metal is present in the wastewaterat a low concentration. In this study, new biosorbent particles were developed byimmobilizing 1, 2 and 4% non-viable biomass of brown algae Sargassum polycytum inchitosan matrix cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. The properties of the developedbiosorbent particles were investigated. These include mechanical strength, particle sizedistribution and surface condition by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Foundthat, the mechanical strength of biosorbent particles are 1.205, 1.182 and 1.161 N/beadfor 1, 2 and 4% algae biosorbent particle. The average particle size of biosorbentparticles are 3.00, 3.14 and 3.24 mm for 1, 2 and 4% algae biosorbent particle. Crosssectionalanalysis of biosorbent particles by SEM indicated that the 4% algaebiosorbent particle had a rough surface more than 1 and 2% algae biosorbent particles.The adsorption of cadmium by S. polycystum and the developed biosorbent particleswere studied in batch systems. The batch adsorption experiments of algae dried at 80?Cwith the particle size of 38 ?m were carried out at temperatures of 20, 30, 40, 50, and60?C and pH values of 4, 6 and 7. The metal adsorption capacity of the algae decreasedwith increasing pH from 4 to 7. Higher cadmium sorption uptakes were observed athigher temperature until the temperature more than 40?C, the adsorption of cadmiumdecreased. The adsorption data could be well interpreted by the Langmuir equation. Theuptakes of Cd(II) ions on S. polycystum were 119.78 mg Cd(II)/g biomass at 30?C and118.40 mg Cd(II)/g biomass at 40?C. The batch adsorption experiments of thedeveloped biosorbent particles were carried out at the temperatures of 20, 30, 40 and50?C and pH values of 3 and 4. The adsorption of cadmium at pH 4 was higher than thatat pH 3. The cadmium uptakes increased when temperature is increased from 20?C to40?C. The cadmium uptakes decreased when the temperature was higher 40?C. Thehighest adsorption capacity of 89.75 mg Cd(II)/g biosorbent particle was found whenusing 4% algae biosorbent particle at 40?C. Desorption experiments of depositedcadmium with 0.05-0.5 M HCl were performed through five subsequentadsorption/desorption cycles. It was found that all concentrations of HCl desorbedapproximately 97% of cadmium initially loaded onto the 4% algae biosorbent particleand the cadmium uptake capacity was reduced to about 29%.