Abstract
Phosphorus removal is a crucial aspect of controlling water pollution and eutrophication. In this study, the preparation of lanthanum carbonate (LC) nano-adsorbents for the efficient removal of phosphate (P) from water and wastewater was investigated. Results from XRD, SEM and Zeta potential analyses revealed that addition of magnesium ions and adjustment of the reaction temperature could control the morphology and microstructure of LC. Effects of initial pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and the water matrix on P adsorption were investigated. Batch adsorption experiments revealed that LC showed strong performance on P removal over a wide pH range (3.0 to 11.0). The kinetic data followed a pseudo-second-order model, and equilibrium data were well fitted by the Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 112.9 mg P/g. Adsorption thermodynamics showed that the adsorption process was exothermic and spontaneous. Results of a monolayer model for single adsorption indicated that P could completely interact with two or more functional groups from the LC surface. In the presence of competing ions (F-, Cl-, SO42-, NO3-, and HCO3-), LC maintained high selectivity for phosphate. For a real effluent, the P concentration was efficiently reduced from 3.2 mg P/L to below 0.5 mg P/L at a dose of 0.5 g/L LC. All the results suggested that LC can serve as a promising adsorbent for P removal in a wide range of pH, and thus could meet the stricter discharge regulations from actual wastewater.
Highlights
Phosphorus (P) is a key nutrient that supports the growth of organisms in natural ecosystems
Many researchers have investigated the effect of pH on P adsorption capacity and found that lanthanum-based adsorbents have high P removal efficiencies only at lower pH values
In order to obtain a highly efficient adsorbent for P removal under neutral and alkaline conditions, lanthanum carbonate (LC) nanoadsorbents were prepared in the presence of Mg2þ cations at different temperatures
Summary
Phosphorus (P) is a key nutrient that supports the growth of organisms in natural ecosystems. Excessive release of P into water bodies can lead to eutrophication, which may cause excessive growth of algae, depletion of dissolved. Since the discharge of industrial wastewater and agricultural runoff are the primary causes of increased P concentrations in aquatic ecosystems, many countries and regions have enforced stricter P discharge limits to reduce the concentration of P in receiving water bodies and prevent eutrophication (Dodds et al ; Karydis & Kitsiou ). The selective and effective removal of P has become a challenge in the treatment of P-containing water and wastewater and has attracted considerable research interest in recent years
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Schedule a callMore From: Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research
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