Biopolymers - Carbon Sources for Composite Materials Used as Adsorbents for As (V)

Large areas of S-E of Asia (Bangladesh), East of Europe (Hungary, West of Romania, Serbia), Nord and South America contain deep ground waters contaminated with arsenic. In these areas the quantity of arsenic in deep aquifers exceeds maximum allowed concentration of 10 mu g/L. In order to use these water sources new adsorbent materials are required for their treatment. A composite material based on carbon and iron-oxide (used as surface modifier) present many advantages such as: chemical stability, higher removal efficiency, possibility of regeneration and very good selectivity for As(V) ions due to presence of iron-oxide particles onto the surface. The purpose of this study was to develop a new method to obtain a composite material using cellulose and soluble starch as carbon sources for the adsorbent material and iron chloride as precursor for the surface modifier. Produced composite material was characterized using several methods: TG-DTG, SEM, EDX, RDX and FT-IR. During experimental test obtained adsorbent material was used as adsorbent for As (V) removal form aqueous solutions. Arsenic residual concentration was measured using ICP-MS method. Maximum adsorption capacity obtained for adsorption experiments was 280 mu g As (V)/g of adsorbent material.