Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone K25 Modified Fungal Biomass as Biosorbent for As(V) Removal from Aqueous Solution

Abstract

Biosorption experiments were carried out in batch and column mode for the removal of As(V) from aqueous solution using native, autoclaved and PVP treated Aspergillus clavatus biomass. The influence of process parameters such as contact time, As(V) concentration, adsorbent dosage, and pH have been investigated for As(V) adsorption. Maximum As(V) removal was observed with PVP K25 modified biomass (PVPAB) (80.25%) when compared to native (57%) and autoclaved (71.63%) biomass. PVPAB biomass required less time to reach equilibrium (90 min) whereas autoclaved and native biomass required 105 and 125 min to attain saturation respectively. The PVPAB showed maximum As(V) removal (Q0 = 2.06 mg/g) and was used as adsorbent for column studies. Equilibrium isotherms were analyzed by Langmuir and Dubinin and Radushkevich isotherms. Kinetics of the adsorption process was studied using pseudo-first-order and second-order models and it was found to obey pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Desorption studies showed that PVPAB could be reused after regeneration and could lead to the development of viable and cost-effective technology for arsenic removal from ground water.