Abstract
This study assessed the applicability of Fe-impregnated biochar derived from cattle manure (Fe-CMB) as an adsorbent for removing Sb(V) from aqueous solutions and investigated the Sb(V) adsorption mechanism. Fe-CMB was mainly composed of C, O, Cl, Fe, Ca, and P, and the adsorption of Sb(V) onto Fe-CMB was identified using an energy dispersive spectrometer and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Sb(V) adsorption reached equilibrium within 6 h, and the Sb(V) adsorption data as a function of time were well described by the pseudo-second-order model. The Langmuir isotherm model fit the equilibrium data better than the Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacity of Fe-CMB for Sb(V) obtained from the Langmuir model was 58.3 mg/g. Thermodynamic analysis of Sb(V) adsorption by Fe-CMB indicated that the adsorption process was exothermic and spontaneous. The Sb(V) removal percentage increased with the Fe-CMB dose, which achieved a removal of 98.5% at 10.0 g/L Fe-CMB. Increasing the solution pH from 3 to 11 slightly reduced Sb(V) adsorption by 6.5%. The inhibitory effect of anions on Sb(V) adsorption followed the order: Cl− ≈ NO3− < SO42− < HCO3− < PO43−.
Highlights
Antimony (Sb), a hazardous element that is toxic to human health, causes several diseases such as respiratory irritation, pneumoconiosis, high blood cholesterol, low blood sugar, and cancer [1,2]
Due to the high toxicity and hazardousness of Sb, the World Health Organization (WHO) and some countries regulate its standard concentration in drinking water: WHO, 20.0 μg/L [3]; the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 6.0 μg/L [4]; and European Union, 5.0 μg/L [5]
The procedure to synthesize Fe-CMB is described in our previous study [19]
Summary
Antimony (Sb), a hazardous element that is toxic to human health, causes several diseases such as respiratory irritation, pneumoconiosis, high blood cholesterol, low blood sugar, and cancer [1,2]. Due to the high toxicity and hazardousness of Sb, the World Health Organization (WHO) and some countries regulate its standard concentration in drinking water: WHO, 20.0 μg/L [3]; the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 6.0 μg/L [4]; and European Union, 5.0 μg/L [5]. Sb is predominant in nature as Sb(OH) and Sb(OH)6−, and Sb(III) and Sb(V) are usually present in reducing and oxidizing water environments, respectively [6]. The stability and solubility of Sb(V) is higher than that of Sb(III), which prevails in water bodies by mostly remaining in an oxidizing environment [7]. More efforts are needed to develop efficient technologies to remove Sb(V) from aqueous solutions
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