Efficient removal of malathion using biosynthesized chitosan-MgO/Zeolite hybrid material: kinetic studies and response surface methodology investigation

Abstract

The presence of agricultural effluents in water poses significant threats, adversely impacting both human health and the ecosystem. To address these challenges, this study employs a multifaceted approach involving the incorporation of a novel chitosan/MgO/Zeolite adsorbent and the utilization of an isolated fungal strain, Aspergillus fumigatus. The adsorbent properties were carefully characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The optimization results indicated that the maximum adsorption 86.1% for malathion was observed with CS/MgO/Zeolite after 40 min, dosage 0.4 g/l, malathion concentration 10mgL−1 and pH(7). The adsorption capacity of CS/MgO/Zeolite for malathion, as determined by the Langmuir isotherm, is reported to be 83.3 mgg−1. The Freundlich isotherm and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model were applied to the adsorption data, resulting in an impressive R2 value of 0.99.The results from desorption and regeneration investigations demonstrate that the CS/MgO/Zeolite composite remains effective for up to five cycles.