Water‐Soluble Polyelectrolytes with Ability to Remove Arsenic

Abstract

AbstractArsenic species can be removed from aqueous solutions using the liquid‐phase polymer‐based retention, LPR, technique. The LPR technique removes ionic species by functional groups of water‐soluble polyelectrolytes (WSP) and then using a ultrafiltration membrane that does not let them pass through the membrane, thus separating them from the solution. The ability of WSP with groups (R)4N+X− to remove arsenate ions using LPR was studied. The interaction and arsenate anion retention capacity depended on: pH, the quaternary ammonium group's counter ion, and the ratio polymer: As(V), using different concentrations of As(V). Water‐soluble polychelates were also used for one‐step retention of As(III) in solution. The complex of poly(acrylic acid)‐Sn, 10 and 20 wt‐% of metal gave a high retention of As(III) species at pH 8, although the molar ratio polychelate: As(III) was 400:1. The enrichment method was used to determine the maximum retention capacity (C) for arsenate anions in aqueous solutions at pH 8. In similar conditions, the values of C were 142 mg g−1 for P(ClAETA) and 75 mg g−1 for P(SAETA). The combined treatment of arsenic aqueous solutions by electrocatalytic oxidation (EO) to convert the species of As(III) to As(V) with the LPR technique quantitatively removed arsenic.