Abstract
Eco-synthesis of a novel, cost-effective activated adsorbent from waste low-density polyethylene plastic pyrolysis char at 550 °C and its arsenic adsorption potential in simulated aqueous media has been investigated. Characterization reveals good surface chemistry and evolved morphology of activated char adsorbent with carbon structures at high pyrolysis temperature, thereby facilitating high arsenic adsorption uptake. A unique integrated framework of kinetic equilibrium investigation, parametric optimization applying response surface methodology (RSM) with responsive arsenic adsorption efficiency and artificial neural network (ANN) model for response validation has been presented. There is reasonably good fitting of experimental equilibrium figures into the Langmuir isotherm model (R2 = 0.9920). The effects of adsorbent pyrochar dose, arsenic concentration, contact time and pH on the arsenic removal capacity have been depicted via conjugate RSM graphs. The ANN regression curves showed R2 value of 0.99436, validating the model with ANN architecture as 4–8-1. Iron oxide complexation with arsenic on adsorbent surface is reported to play a dominant role in the proposed adsorption mechanism. The proposed hybridized model can be applied to examine the adsorptive removal of various contaminants in water. Techno-economic analysis of scaled-up community arsenic filter showed high removal efficiency (> 90%) of arsenic by activated plastic pyro-char adsorbent from contaminated water at an affordable cost of 0.67 $/m3 of treated water. The activated plastic waste pyro-char with an adsorption capacity of 7.21 mg/g is, therefore, environmentally sustainable in plastic waste management in the post-pandemic era for a ‘waste to wealth’ circular economy with perspective arsenic removal from contaminated water.
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