Stability Of Beads Research Articles

Application of alginate immobilized microalgae in treating real food industrial wastewater and design of annular photobioreactor: A proof-of-concept study

Microalgae immobilization was widely studied to address the challenge of algal cells harvesting, however, its stability and efficiency in treating real food industrial wastewater has not been well studied. In this study, microalgae were co-immobilized with sludge bacteria in alginate beads for treatment of real meat processing wastewater and an annular photobioreactor was designed to facilitate efficient light transmission at high beads-to-wastewater ratios. Results showed that increasing alginate mixture from 1.25% to 2.00% (w/v) extended beads stability in real wastewater from three to seven days. When beads were suspended in wastewater the overshading effect at beads-to-wastewater ratio of 20% (v/v) was significant and average algal growth (0.17 mg/bead) was lower than 2% (0.46 mg/bead) and 5% (0.36 mg/bead). Nevertheless, the ratio of 20% (v/v) was preferred as the higher beads count may compensate the disadvantage, however, the light transmission efficiency needed to be improved. The effect of environmental temperature indicated that at 37 °C beads started rupturing after three-days treatment due to the excessive growth of immobilized microorganisms. In comparison with suspended photobioreactor, in improved annular photobioreactor algal growth increased from 1412.6 to 3191.0 mg/L and removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen (TN) were improved from 78.5 to 82.9% and from 68.5 to 84.4% respectively with 89.4% total phosphate (PO43−) being removed. By the end of treatment, 135.9 mg/L TN and 99.2 mg/L total PO43− were removed and it was speculated that most of nitrogen and phosphorus were removed by algal assimilation rather than the physical adsorption of alginate gel. Findings of this study provided directions for the application of immobilized microalgae in the real world.

The impact of pH on mechanical properties, storage stability and digestion of alginate-based and soy protein isolate-stabilized emulsion gel beads with encapsulated lycopene

In alginate-based emulsion gels containing protein-coated droplets, pH can influence the gelation mechanism of alginate gels, and the interactions between alginate molecules and protein-coated droplets, and thus properties of emulsion gels. This study investigated the impact of pH 3–7 on the properties (e.g., surface structures of droplets, mechanical properties, storage stability, digestion behavior) of alginate gel beads containing soy protein isolate(SPI)-stabilized oil droplets. Emulsion droplets were SPI-coated droplets at pH 6–7 and alginate/SPI-coated droplets at pH 3–5. Emulsion droplet flocculation only occurred in emulsions at pH 7.0. Emulsion gel beads at pH 3.0 had lower mechanical strength, higher storage stability, faster release of encapsulated lycopene during in-vitro digestion, and higher bioaccesibility of lycopene after 2 h of intestinal digestion than those at pH 7.0 and 5.0. The findings of this study are crucial to emulsion gel beads with controlled release and improved storage stability of encapsulated compounds by changing the pH of emulsions.

Low cost and eco‐friendly polymeric matrix prepared by physical cross‐linking as potential potassium nitrate release system

AbstractChitosan‐poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) blends were used to form spherical polymeric networks using sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) as an ionic cross‐linker. Ionotropic gelation and neutralization of protonated chitosan induced the formation of beads after contacting the polymeric droplets with a STPP aqueous solution. Morphology, structural characteristics and thermal stability of beads were elucidated using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The water swelling kinetics and the capacity of KNO3 loading of beads as well as the release process of the loaded salt were also studied. It was found that beads exhibited an equilibrium swelling ratio in the range of 324%–361%. PVA addition improved the economic viability of the polymeric matrix without compromising the formation of the beads. The cross‐linking time and the composition of the polymeric hydrogel did not significantly modify the cross‐linking degree and the fertilizer loading capability. Release experiments were performed submerging loaded beads in distilled water. After 10 days of continuous release, the cumulative concentration in the release medium reached near 100% of the initially loaded salt. Loaded beads are environmental‐friendly and could be useful in agricultural applications as controlled‐release fertilizers.

Polyelectrolyte complex beads of carboxymethylcellulose and chitosan: The controlled formation and improved properties

Spherical beads made of naturally derived polymers can be widely used as a promising matrix in many bio-related and safety required fields. Herein, the optimal parameters for fabrication of a core-shell bead composed of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and chitosan (CHI) are established based on systematic investigations on working distance, solution pH and polymer concentrations. Spherical beads will be obtained when the working distance is set as 15 cm. The beads prepared at pH 4.5 are the strongest and can resist to a force of up to 0.071 N. It will be shown that the critical concentration of polymer solutions plays important roles in determining the shape and size of beads. The observation of two new peaks at 1723 cm−1 and 1592 cm−1 in the FTIR of the prepared beads demonstrate the electrostatic interactions between CMC and CHI. With a post gentle heating (35°C), the stability of beads is significantly improved and the swelling degree in water increases to 220%.

Enhanced biodegradation of light crude oil by immobilized Bacillus licheniformis in fabricated alginate beads through electrospray technique.

Petroleum contamination of marine environments due to exploitation and accidental spills causes serious harm to ecosystems. Bioremediation with immobilized microorganisms is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective emerging technology for treating oil-polluted environments. In this study, Bacillus licheniformis was entrapped in Ca alginate beads using the electrospray technique for light crude oil biodegradation. Three important process variables, including inoculum size (5-15% v/v), initial oil concentration (1500-3500ppm), and NaCl concentration (0-30g/L), were optimized to obtain the best response of crude oil removal using response surface methodology (RSM) and Box-Behnken design (BBD). The highest crude oil removal of 79.58% was obtained for 1500ppm of crude oil after 14days using immobilized cells, and it was lower for freely suspended cells (64.77%). Our result showed similar trends in the effect of variables on the oil biodegradation rate in both free cell (FC) and immobilized cell (IC) systems. However, according to the analysis of variance (ANOVA) results, the extent of the variables' effectiveness was different in FC and IC systems. In the immobilized cell system, all variables had a greater effect on the rate of light crude oil degradation. Moreover, to evaluate the effectiveness of free and immobilized B. licheniformis in bioremediation of an actual polluted site, the crude oil spill in natural seawater was investigated. The results suggested the stability of beads in the seawater, as well as high degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by free and immobilized cells in the presence of indigenous microorganisms.

Treatment of wastewater reverse osmosis concentrate using alginate-immobilised microalgae: Integrated impact of solution conditions on algal bead performance

Alginate can be used for entrapment of microalgal cells in gel beads to achieve high-rate treatment of wastewater and can overcome the difficulties of cell separation that would occur in suspended microalgae treatment systems. The potential for alginate beads to disintegrate in the presence of high ion concentrations could limit the use of alginate entrapment for treating municipal wastewater reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC). The combined effect of the pH, alkalinity, and salinity of the ROC that impact the physical stability, chemical characteristics, biomass production, and nutrient removal performance of alginate-entrapped Chlorella vulgaris for treating the ROC was investigated. Water adsorption resulting from the loss of calcium from the alginate matrix was the initiating cause of reduction of the algal bead stability. The combination of alkalinity >400 mg/L and pH ≥9.5 led to a >65% reduction in compressive strength and thus disintegration of beads during ROC treatment. However, alginate beads of C. vulgaris were sufficiently stable and were capable of nutrient remediation (up to 100% TP and 85% TN per treatment cycle of 48 h over a 10-day period) and biomass production (up to 340 mg/L/d) when salinity, pH, and alkalinity levels were <8 g TDS/L, 7–9.5, and <400 mg/L, respectively. Empirical models that were developed and validated could enable the prediction of the performance of the algal beads for various ROC compositions. This study enhances the insight and decision-making regarding the feasibility of the alginate-immobilised microalgal system for treating municipal wastewater ROC streams.

Influence of the wall material on the moisture sorption properties and conditions of stability of sesame oil hydrogel beads by ionic gelation

Sesame oil was encapsulated by ionic gelation using matrices of sodium alginate and nopal mucilage as wall material. Moisture sorption isotherms of three different types of hydrogels beads formed by SA-NM (1:0 w/w), SA-NM (1:1 w/w) and SA-NM (1:1.5 w/w) were performed at 25, 35 and 45 °C. Experimental isotherms were described by means of the GAB model, showing sigmoidal shape. Pore radius values of beads ranged from 0.81 to 7.59 nm, corresponding to micropores and mesopores classification. The integral thermodynamic properties were estimated to define conditions of maximum stability of the hydrogel beads. The point of maximum stability, linked to minimum integral entropy, was in the range 3.31–5.59 kg H2O/100 kg d.s. (corresponding to water activity, aW, of 0.23–0.59) in the studied temperature range. Enthalpy-entropy compensation for the beads exhibited the presence of two isokinetic temperatures; one at low moisture contents (0–5.95 kg H2O/100 kg d.s.) controlled by variations of the water entropy, and a second given by enthalpy-driven mechanisms. Overall, the results showed that the hydrogel beads exhibited features of micro- and meso-porous biomaterials. Besides, the composition of the wall material has central implications for the characteristics of the sorption process.

Effective removal of basic dye onto sustainable chitosan beads: Batch and fixed-bed column adsorption, beads stability and mechanism

This study aims to develop sustainable low-cost chitosan-based beads by a simple dropping method, with instantaneous formation by reticulation with tripolyphosphate anion. The beads were characterized and applied to basic blue 7 (BB7) uptake. The adsorption process was optimized through variation of several parameters in batch experiments such as bead loading, pH, dye concentration and temperature. At a BB7 concentration of 400 mg/L and 60 min, the best BB7 adsorption capacity (1410 mg/g) and partition coefficient (8.22 mg/g/μM) were achieved by chitosan beads, which were quite superior to others described in the literature. The obtained data best fitted to mixed- and pseudo-first order kinetic models and to Redlich-Peterson isothermal model. A fixed-bed column experiment was conducted and the adsorption capacity and partition coefficient at 100% breakthrough were 12.06 mg/g and 0.06 mg/g/μM. The bead storage study indicated that its adsorption capacity was not affected for a two-week period and reached 325 mg/g. Also, the presence of basic brown 4 (BB4) dye did not harm basic blue 7 in the simultaneous adsorption process and a removal capacity of 232 and 259 mg/g was reached for BB4 and BB7 dye, respectively. The presence of NaCl reduced the percentage of BB7 removal from 91% to 73%. The removal mechanism based on XPS, FTIR and BET analyses suggests that hydrogen bonds are the main adsorption mechanism followed by cation-exchange. This study gave rise to encouraging results and chitosan/tripolyphosphate beads proved to be potential adsorbents for industrial effluent treatments.

Investigation of the Influence of Calcium Salts and Gelling Time on the Structural Mechanical Properties of Fruit Jam

Alginate beads attract attention as a encapsulation matrix of bioactive substances in food. However, the stability of beads depends on calcium ion and sodium alginate concentration, gelling time and others factors. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of different types of calcium salts on the structural and mechanical parameters - the rupture force and rupture deformation at different gelling times of the pear jam prepared with soluble dietary fibers and inulin. The relationships between the rupture force and rupture deformation of the fruit jams were established. By increasing the gelling time from 24 hours to 48 hours, the rupture deformation of jams with 7% calcium lactate were reduced and in those with 7% CaCl2 the rupture forces increases. Any change in rupture force was observed for the jam with 3.5% CaCl2. This study demonstrated the practical application of different calcium salts for preparation of stable pear jam.

Modular Chitosan-Based Adsorbents for Tunable Uptake of Sulfate from Water.

The context of this study responds to the need for sorbent technology development to address the controlled removal of inorganic sulfate (SO42−) from saline water and the promising potential of chitosan as a carrier system for organosulfates in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. This study aims to address the controlled removal of sulfate using chitosan as a sustainable biopolymer platform, where a modular synthetic approach was used for chitosan bead preparation that displays tunable sulfate uptake. The beads were prepared via phase-inversion synthesis, followed by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde, and impregnation of Ca2+ ions. The sulfate adsorption properties of the beads were studied at pH 5 and variable sulfate levels (50–1000 ppm), where beads with low cross-linking showed moderate sulfate uptake (35 mg/g), while cross-linked beads imbibed with Ca2+ had greater sulfate adsorption (140 mg/g). Bead stability, adsorption properties, and the point-of-zero charge (PZC) from 6.5 to 6.8 were found to depend on the cross-linking ratio and the presence of Ca2+. The beads were regenerated over multiple adsorption-desorption cycles to demonstrate the favorable uptake properties and bead stability. This study contributes to the development of chitosan-based adsorbent technology via a modular materials design strategy for the controlled removal of sulfate. The results of this study are relevant to diverse pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications that range from the controlled removal of dextran sulfate from water to the controlled release of chondroitin sulfate.

Encapsulation of pea protein in an alginate matrix by cold set gelation method and use of the capsules in fruit juices.

Plant-based proteins gained importance in recent years due to the increase in the awareness of healthy diet and in the consumption of plant-based foods. However, some features of plant-based proteins like the undesirable odor and flavor affect the sensorial properties of protein containing foods. Therefore, encapsulation of these proteins could be a good strategy to tackle with this problem. The objective of this study was to design microcapsules (beads) consisting of pea protein by using sodium alginate and to investigate the effect of different alginate concentrations (1.0, 1.5, and 2.0%) on the protein content, encapsulation efficiency, particle size, bead stability, and the morphology of the capsules and then add them to different fruit juices (pomegranate and melon) and examine the release behavior from the capsules. Rheological behavior of the juices including pectin were also investigated. TD- nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry analysis through T2 relaxation times was conducted on the capsules to observe the changes in the beads. In conclusion, alginate was found to be a suitable encapsulation coating for pea protein. Beads containing 1% alginate concentration was found to be the most effective with respect to protein content and bead stability. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study aims to design and characterize pea protein containing microcapsules capsules and their utilization in fruit juices. The study itself focused on a specific application on the fruit juices.

Rapid determination of aflatoxin B1 by an automated immunomagnetic bead purification sample pretreatment method combined with high-performance liquid chromatography.

We aimed to establish an automated versatile sample preconcentration method based on the modified immunomagnetic beads, which was utilized to enrich for aflatoxin B1 from the matrices. The critical main parameters affecting the extraction efficiency, such as usage amount of immunomagnetic beads, reaction time, elution time, and blending way were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, the content of aflatoxin B1 was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, the mobile phase consists of water-acetonitrile-methanol (42:18:10, v/v/v), and fluorescence detection was performed with excitation and emission wavelengths at 360 and 440nm, respectively. Moreover, the performance of preconcentration method was compared with the conventional method based on the immunoaffinity column. The accuracy of two clean-up methods was within the error range. In addition, the stability and recyclability of the immunomagnetic beads was studied by recycling them five times. The results for the respective analysis in various samples demonstrated that the developed extraction platform provides a promising approach that is simple, rapid, sensitive, and easy to use.

Encapsulation of Turmeric Crude Extracted in Chitosan Hydrogel Beads for Antimicrobial in Animal Health Care Applications

Hydrogel is very popular used in medicinal materials due to their properties. The aim of study is to investigate the development of chitosan (CS) hydrogel beads to extend drug-releasing time and enhance the stability of hydrogel beads from decomposition due to surrounding temperature. Gentamicin (GM) is using as a drug model for loading and releasing from hydrogel beads. For this purpose, the effects of ionic gelation of CS and tripolyphosphate (TPP) on various concentrations (1, 3, 5, and 7%w/v) are emphasized. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has revealed that CS hydrogel beads are roughly surface with decreasing of the %CS content. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra show a weak band of hydroxyl stretching at 2878 cm-1 of chitosan, the absorption band of the carbonyl stretching of the secondary amide at 1651 cm-1. The releasing solution of CS hydrogel beads exhibit an antimicrobial activity against 4 type of bacterias compared to Chloramphenical. For this reason, indicating that CS hydrogel beads are an appropriate for controlled drug release system to turmeric crude extract.

Fe/polymer-based photocatalyst synthesized by sono-sorption method applied to wastewater treatment

The present work focused on the photo-Fenton performance using Fe+2 immobilized on chitosan and alginate spheres for degrading methylene blue dye (MB) and a real effluent (RE) from a pulp and paper mill industry. With the aim of optimizing iron sorption onto these matrices, the time sorption was evaluated in the presence of ultrasound (sono-sorption) and in its absence (conventional method). SEM/EDS, XRD and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize the catalyst prepared. The results showed no morphological change on the spheres, regardless of the iron sorption method employed; however, the ultrasound bath drastically decreases the synthesis time from several hours to a few minutes (15 min), comparing to the conventional method. Response surface methodology and Box-Behnken design were used to evaluate the effects of the pH, the mass of Fe photocatalyst and H2O2 concentration. 98.8 % removal of the MB occurred at pH = 3, 2 g of catalytic spheres, 300 mg/L of H2O2, after 6 min of photo-Fenton treatment. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model of Langmuir-Hinshelwood exhibited a good fit. The industrial wastewater from the pulp and paper mill presented, after 20 min, 96 % discoloration and, 100 % of DBO, 86 % of DQO and 52 % turbidity reduction. The stability of chitosan beads with iron immobilized by ultrasound (Fe/C/US) was confirmed over six cycles. The color removal of the pulp and paper mill wastewater remained higher than 86 % even after the sixth cycle.

Kinetic and equilibrium modeling for the biosorption of metal ion by Zeolite 13X-Algal-Alginate Beads (ZABs)

The potential application of Zeolite 13X-Algal-Alginate Beads (ZABs) for copper biosorption was evaluated and compared with Blank-Alginate Beads (BABs) and Chlorella-Alginate Beads (CABs). Different process parameters were investigated including contact time, pH and initial metallic ion concentration. The findings indicated that the maximum biosorption capacity of ZABs was 85.88 mg/g biosorbent achieved at 180 min, pH 5 and initial metallic ion concentration of 150 mg/l whereas the maximum capacity of 70.02 and 77.32 mg/g biosorbent was obtained for BABs and CABs, respectively. ZABs showed higher stability than BABs and CABs in biosorption-desorption cycles. The kinetic and equilibrium data were analyzed via reaction/diffusion and Langmuir/Freundlich models, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated bonded metal ion to the ABs. Hence, this study confirmed an improvement in stability and biosorption capacity of microalgal-alginate beads.

Silica coating of carboxymethyl tamarind kernel polysaccharide beads to modify the release characteristics

In present study, the release characteristics of ibuprofen-loaded carboxymethyl tamarind kernel polysaccharide beads were modified by coating with silica. The influence of concentrations of carboxymethyl tamarind kernel polysaccharide, calcium chloride and tetraethoxysilane on the % entrapment and in vitro release of ibuprofen was optimized using response surface methodology. The coating of beads with silica restricted the drug release from the beads but at the same time the ethanol formed as by-product of the sol gel process leached out the drug. The optimized batch of beads were prepared using carboxymethyl tamarind kernel powder-12.5 (%, w/v), calcium chloride-10.12 (%, w/v) and coated with tetraethoxysilane-0.25 M, entrapped 89.2% and released 92% of drug over 24 h. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed the coating of silica on the beads. The coating with silica shielded the crevices on the surface of beads but it did not elicit any significant change in thermal stability of beads. Further, in vitro release was found to be in good agreement with the swelling study. Modeling analysis revealed that ibuprofen was released from the beads following zero-order kinetics with erosion of the matrix as the main mechanism of drug release. Thus, silica coating provides a facile strategy to formulate sustained release formulations.

The fate of mesenchymal stem cells is greatly influenced by the surface chemistry of silica nanoparticles in 3D hydrogel-based culture systems.

Polymeric hydrogel-based 3D scaffolds are well-known structures, being used for cultivation and differentiation of stem cells. However, scalable systems that provide a native-like microenvironment with suitable biological and physical properties are still needed. Incorporation of nanomaterials into the polymeric systems is expected to influence the physical properties of the structure but also the stem cells fate. Here, alginate/gelatin hydrogel beads incorporated with mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) (average diameter 80.9 ± 10 nm) and various surface chemistries were prepared. Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs) were subsequently encapsulated into the alginate/gelatin/silica hydrogels. Incorporation of amine- and carboxyl-functionalized MSNs (A-MSNs and C-MSNs) significantly enhances the stability of the hydrogel beads. In addition, the expression levels of Nanog and OCT4 imply that the incorporation of A-MSNs into the alginate/gelatin beads significantly improves the proliferation and the stemness of encapsulated hASCs. Importantly, our findings show that the presence of A-MSNs slightly suppresses in vivo inflammation. In contrast, the results of marker gene expression analyses indicate that cultivation of hASCs in alginate beads incorporated with C-MSNs (10% w/w) leads to a heterogeneously differentiated population of the cells, i.e., osteocytes, chondrocytes, and adipocytes, which is not appropriate for both cell culture and differentiation applications.

A new approach for the fabrication of porous alumina beads using acid leachate of kaolin

Abstract In the present study, alumina beads; both in the α (alpha) phase and γ (gamma) phase; were prepared using the acid leachate of kaolinite as a starting solution by an oil-drop method. Size of the alumina beads prepared by this method was 6 mm–8 mm. The effect of different parameters on the formation, morphology and stability of the alumina beads were studied. Both α phase and γ phase were characterized by powder X-ray diffractometer (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), Fourier transforms infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), N2 adsorption-desorption surface area analyser and a pore size analyser. The porous nature of the beads was confirmed by the pore size distribution study as per the Barrett, Joyner, and Halenda (BJH) method and FESEM images. The γ alumina beads were found to have a higher surface area and porosity than α alumina beads. The unimodal distribution of pores in the mesoporous region of γ alumina beads suggests the possible application of these beads in the adsorption process.

Encapsulation of a lycopene-rich watermelon concentrate in alginate and pectin beads: Characterization and stability

The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of the type of polymer and the effect of drying on the stability of lycopene-rich beads obtained by ionic gelation of a watermelon concentrate. Sodium alginate and pectin were used as polymers for encapsulation. The wet and the dried beads were characterized for lycopene retention when exposed to different thermal treatments (60 °C and 90 °C) and pHs (2, 5 and 8), as well as for particle size distribution, morphology and thermogravimetric analysis. All the particles showed high lycopene protection against the evaluated conditions of temperature and pH. Storage stability at different temperatures was also evaluated. The wet beads produced with alginate and pectin showed lycopene retention of 29 and 21%, respectively, after 8 weeks of refrigerated storage, while the dried beads were showed retentions higher than 80% above 25 °C. Ionic gelation showed to be a promising alternative to obtain stable lycopene-rich dried ingredients.

Synergistic effects of activated carbon and nano-zerovalent copper on the performance of hydroxyapatite-alginate beads for the removal of As3+ from aqueous solution

In this study, activated carbon (AC) and nano-zerovalent copper (nZVCu) functionalized hydroxyapatite (HA) and alginate beads were synthesized and used for the removal of As3+ from aqueous solution. The characterization by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, BET surface area analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed successful formation of the AC/nZVCu/HA-alginate, nZVCu/HA-alginate, AC/HA-alginate, and HA-alginate beads. The scanning electron microscopy and surface analysis revealed the prepared beads to be highly mesoporous which led to the maximum adsorption of As3+, i.e., 13.97, 29.33, 30.96, and 39.06 mg/g by HA-alginate, AC/HA-alginate, nZVCu/HA-alginate, and AC/nZVCu/HA-alginate beads, respectively. The thermogravimteric analysis showed the nZVCu/HA-alginate beads to be highly stable while the AC composite beads as the least stable to heat treatment. The HA-alginate beads achieved 39% removal of As3+, however, removal efficiency was promoted to 95% by coupling AC and nZVCu with HA-alginate beads at a reaction time of 120 min. The removal of As3+ by the prepared AC & nZVCu coupled HA-alginate beads was promoted with increasing [As3+]0 and [AC/nZVCu/HA-alginate]0. The pH of aqueous solution significantly influenced the removal of As3+ by AC/nZVCu/HA-alginate beads and maximum removal was achieved at pH 5.8. Freundlich adsorption isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were found to best fit the removal of As3+ by the synthesized beads. The high performance of AC/nZVCu/HA-alginate beads in the removal of As3+ even after seven cyclic treatment as well as least leaching of Cu ions into aqueous solution suggest enhanced reusability and stability of HA-alginate beads by coupling with AC and nZVCu. The results suggest that the synthesized beads have good potential for the removal of As3+ from aqueous solutions.