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Abstract
The stringent laws and tight regulation on heavy metal bearing wastewaters being discharged into the water stream lead to emergence of technically advanced and super effective treatment methods. Heavy metal contaminated aqueous streams have become a global concern due to their carcinogenicity and delirious effects on human health. In particular, the health hazards of mercury include adverse effect on central nervous system, pulmonary and kidney functions, etc. Having a maximum discharge limit of 0.001 mg/L, which is the lowest amongst other heavy metals, mercury contamination has become a matter of global concern. In the present study, TiO 2 having a proven track record for its affinity for heavy metals was lab synthesized in the form of fiber mats and tested for its adsorptive behaviour towards Hg(II) in aqueous system. The electrospinned nanofibers possessed smooth morphology and very high surface area ≈ 740 m 2 /g. The batch adsorption experiments showed titania nanofibers possessed great affinity towards Hg(II). At the most optimized conditions the removal percentage went remarkably high to 95.5% with initial Hg(II) concentration of 0.01 mg/L. Since the rate limiting steps in adsorption are of vital importance in order to define the rate parameters for design purposes, the present study takes into account External mass transfer, Weber and Morris and Boyd mass transfer diffusion models for Hg(II) adsorption on lab synthesized titania nanofibers. The equilibrium data were then analyzed using Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin sorption models and the characteristic sorption parameters for each isotherm were determined. The Mass transfer mechanism appeared to be film diffusion controlled and data fitted best to Freundlich isotherm with regression value of 0.991. The discussion also focuses on few of the recently used adsorbents for Hg(II) uptake and their comparison with the present study on the basis of removal percentage and kinetics involved. Promising adsorbent characteristics and rapid Hg(II) uptake makes this process a convenient one.
Highlights
Water pollution affects the entire biosphere and so is a problem of great concern
This study has shown the applicability of titania nanofibers for Hg2+ uptake from aqueous solutions
The work highlights an enhanced rate of adsorption, which is attributed to the large surface area
Summary
Water pollution affects the entire biosphere and so is a problem of great concern. The increasing industrialization has played a very important in the degradation of natural water resources. The direct or indirect discharge from the industries into the water bodies demote the water quality and make it unsuitable for aquatic as well human life. Metals reach the environment naturally through the weathering of soils and rocks, and through anthropogenic activities like mining, processing, etc. Mercury with a maximum discharge limit of 0.001 mg/L is considered to be a global pollutant. Its presence in environment is of significant concern because of its extreme toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation properties [1]. The major industries releasing mercury-laden wastewaters into environment are fertilizers, mining, mineral processing and tanning, etc. Human exposure to mercury has severe health affects like neurological imbalance, anxiety, restlessness and lung disease, etc The major industries releasing mercury-laden wastewaters into environment are fertilizers, mining, mineral processing and tanning, etc. human exposure to mercury has severe health affects like neurological imbalance, anxiety, restlessness and lung disease, etc
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