Bone Char Research Articles

CLAY COMPOSITE WATER FILTERS: THE CASE OF FLUORIDE, NITRITE AND Escherichia coli REMOVAL

Inorganic ceramic materials is receiving more attention in recent times due to their unique characteristics which include different pore structures, hydrophilic surfaces, high chemical, thermal and mechanical stabilities that offer avenues for application in water treatment. In the present work, cost-effective clay ceramic water filters of different designs were developed from clay (50, 60, and 70) %, sawdust (15, 20, 25, and 35) %, grog (5, 10 and 15)% ratios plus 5% bone char by volume and sintered at temperature of 950 C for 6 hrs. For the flow rate, fluoride and nitrite tests synthetic waters were used, while for Escherichia coli removal efficiency test of the filter diluted wastewater sample collected by purposive sampling methods from Modjo River was used. The analysis of the optimal performing sintered filter by X-ray diffraction revealed the existence of mixed phases such as quartz, mulite and ilite. The surface functional group analysis by infrared spectroscopy showed the presence of strong bands at 3696 cm-1, 3622 cm-1, 3450 cm-1 of hydroxyl linkages. Field emission scanning electron microscopy of fractured filter surfaces with better performance showed the formation of interconnected porous microstructure materials. The ceramic water filter developed from 50% clay, 15% grog, 35% sawdust, and 5% bone char, (C950-50-35-15), characterized with total porosity 36.33 0.05%, displayed flow rate 1.91 0.55L/h and E. coli, nitrite, and fluoride removal efficiencies of 99.91 0.09%, 76.00 0.22%, and 96.8 0.41% respectively.

Practical Approach for Removal of Natural Organic Matter and defluoridation of Maji ya Chai river Water: Use of Acid Pre-treated Bone Char and Coagulants

The removal of natural organic matter (NOM) and fluoride from Maji ya Chai River water (MCRW) using bone char (BC) and coagulants was investigated. Fine BC particles ranging from 0.045 to 0.2 mm were used in a 1 litre half-filled container, stirred at 300 rpm for 60 min followed by addition of a commercial coagulant and allowed to settle for 24 hours to remove NOM. MCRW practicable and affordable defluoridation method for removal of NOM through defluoridation with BC pre-treated with 0.3 N HCl followed by coagulation with Poly-aluminium chloride (PACl) is proposed. Reduction of fluoride from 21 mg/L to 1.7 mg/L was achieved by use of 5 g/L of 0.3 N HCl acid pre-treated BC and 66 mL of 1% PACl per litre of MCRW. The acid pre-treated BC was found to double defluoridation capacity of BC, while adjustment of pH of MCRW with HCl acid to pH 3 has tripled defluoridation capacity of BC. The 0.3 N HCl acid pre-treated BC is preferred to avoid impractical working with acid solution for pH adjustment in households and communities. The treated water pH was within the acceptable portable water range of 6.5 to 8.5. PACl is a preferable coagulant for removal of NOM from MCRW since it is more effective and safer compared to use of alum and zetafloc 703.

Analysis of sorbing method of water treatment from oil

The efficiency of simple and accessible methods of cleaning of oil-contaminated water is investigated. The maximum absorption capacity of cotton as a natural material is identified, that quickly absorbs oil components and does not require the use of additional resources to combat water contamination. It is found that natural charcoal absorbent is inefficient in comparison with other methods of water purification from oil and requires a long time and additional pollution catchers, which is economically unprofitable. Synthetic polymer foam and white coal absorb oil in a short time, but in the latter case, nevertheless, small spots remain on the surface of the water. According to the efficiency of oil absorption by natural and synthetic materials, we can distinguish the following series of investigated materials: black coal → foam → white coal → cotton.

Use of bone char prepared from an invasive species, pleco fish (Pterygoplichthys spp.), to remove fluoride and Cadmium(II) in water

In this study, bone char (BC) from pleco fish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) was synthesized, and their textural and physicochemical properties, as well as its adsorption capacity towards fluoride and Cd(II) from single and binary aqueous solutions, were determined. The results showed that the properties of the BCs were independent of the type of bone used and the surface areas were close to 110 m2 g−1. The effect of solution pH revealed that the adsorption capacity of BC towards fluoride from water raised by decreasing the solution pH. This trend was attributed to the electrostatic interaction between the positively charged surface and the fluoride in aqueous solution. On the contrary, the capacity of BC for adsorbing Cd(II) was enhanced by increasing the solution pH, indicating that electrostatic interactions were also essential but with a contrary effect in comparison with fluoride adsorption due to the negatively charged surface at pH above the point zero charge (pHPZC = 8.16). The experimental data for binary adsorption of fluoride and Cd(II) were interpreted satisfactorily using the modified Freundlich multicomponent isotherm (EFMI), and the experimental data revealed that Cd(II) have an antagonistic effect on the adsorption of fluoride, whereas the presence of fluoride does not affect the capacity of BC for adsorbing Cd(II). Thermogravimetric, XRD diffraction and IR spectroscopy analysis corroborated that the adsorption of fluoride in BC is due to electrostatic attractions, ion exchange or chemisorption and physisorption. Besides, the removal of Cd(II) occurs by physical adsorption and ion exchange. It was concluded that BC is an alternative material for the removal of fluoride and Cd(II) from aqueous solutions, and it is a possible application for using the bones of this invasive fish species.

Optimization of Fluoride Adsorption on Bone Char with Response Surface Methodology (RSM)

Optimization of Fluoride Adsorption on Bone Char with Response Surface Methodology (RSM)

Fixed-Bed Adsorption Comparisons of Bone Char and Activated Alumina for the Removal of Fluoride from Drinking Water

Fluoride is commonly found at elevated concentrations in groundwaters worldwide and is difficult to remove even with activated alumina (AA) adsorption, the best available technology. Consequently, alternative treatment technologies for fluoride removal continue to be researched, including the use of bone char (BC) adsorption. However, BC studies are limited mostly to batch or equilibrium studies, which can be difficult to extend to full-scale applications. Therefore, the goal of this study was to compare a BC to a commercial AA for treating groundwater with a naturally occurring fluoride concentration of 8.5 mg/L using pilot- and bench-scale fixed-bed adsorption tests. At the pilot scale using an empty bed contact time (EBCT) of 10 min, fluoride breakthrough reached 1.5 mg/L within 450 bed volumes (3.1 days) and 650 bed volumes (4.5 days) for BC and AA, respectively. Two designs of the rapid small-scale column test (RSSCT) were applied to simulate the pilot columns, where the proportional diffusivity RSSCT (PD-RSSCT) design provided a more adequate prediction of fluoride breakthrough to 1.5 mg/L. The PD-RSSCT was also used to evaluate BC and AA EBCTs of 10 and 20 min, with the longer EBCT providing no significant increase in adsorbent use efficiency. Complete BC regeneration using countercurrent flow to the PD-RSSCT was limited by exposure to the sodium hydroxide regenerant solution and, potentially, the presence of arsenic.

Adsorption behavior and mechanism of Pb(II) and complex Cu(II) species by biowaste-derived char with amino functionalization

This work aimed to develop a feasible technology to reuse dead pig biowaste for heavy metals removal, which was first carbonized into pig bone char (PBC) after pyrolysis and further functionalized with amino (NH2) to improve its affinity with heavy metals. The application of PBC after NH2-functionalization for aqueous heavy metals removal was explored, including Pb2+, Cu2+, and different complex Cu(II) species. PBC@SiO2-NH2 showed comparable performance with AC@SiO2-NH2. The adsorption capacity of Pb2+ and Cu2+ by PBC@SiO2-NH2 was 120 and 30 mg g−1, respectively. The NH2 functionalization enhanced the adsorption of complex Cu(II) species, and PBC@SiO2-NH2 exhibited good performance under a wide pH range and coexisting ions. The adsorption of Cu(II)EDTA species with an EDTA/Cu(II) molar ratio of 1.0 by PBC would be enhanced ~3 times and ~6 times after NH2 functionalization and further addition of Fe3+, respectively. The results of EDX, elemental mapping, and XPS confirmed the adsorption of Cu(II) species. The adsorption kinetics, isotherm, and thermodynamics of different Cu(II) species by PBC@SiO2-NH2 were investigated. The regeneration of PBC@SiO2-NH2 was easily performed via acidic wash. These results suggested the application potential of the reuse of biowaste, which could be a promising adsorbent for aqueous heavy metals after specific functionalization.

Persulfate activation by swine bone char-derived hierarchical porous carbon: Multiple mechanism system for organic pollutant degradation in aqueous media

Recent years, application of biochar in catalysis field has attracted increasing attention for it is an effective, inexpensive and environment friendly methods to solve the environmental issues. The aim of this work is to apply bone char (BBC) into persulfate (PS) activation system and achieve efficient 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) degradation. This work first applied de-fatted swine bone as the biochar precursor. The as-prepared BBC has considerable high surface area (1024.34 m2/g) and wide porous distribution. Especially the hierarchical porous structure is supposed to accelerate the electrons transfer in this catalytic process. The results showed that over 85% of 2, 4-DCP can be removed in 30 min and almost 100% of 2, 4-DCP can be completely degraded in 2 h. Further research found that 2, 4-DCP was eliminated by both radical and non-radical pathway, and radical pathway dominated the catalytic process in BBC/PS system. OH, SO4−, O2− and 1O2 all contributed to this system, among which the OH played the most significant role. Liner Sweep Voltammetry (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were taken to verify the non-radical pathway did exist in this system. Owing to the existence of multiple mechanisms, the BBC/PS system remained highly efficient in real surface water and it had remarkable adaptability to various environment conditions. This research commits to proposing a novel strategy for green remediation of contaminated water.

Comparative evaluation of bone chars derived from bovine parts: Physicochemical properties and copper sorption behavior

With the increasing demand for beef worldwide, a considerable amount of bovine bone is discharged as solid waste. Therefore, in this study, the physicochemical properties of chars from bovine bones (ribs, scapulae, vertebrae, and legs) and their copper sorption behavior in aqueous solutions were investigated. The bone chars were pyrolyzed at 500 °C and the ash contents were approximately 85.08%, although the leg bone char had significantly higher values. The rib bone char showed a larger specific surface area (172 m2/g), smaller average pore diameter (7.7 nm), and more basic functional groups than the other char types. The maximum sorption capacity varied from 72.53 to 83.71 g/kg, with the rib bone char exhibiting the best adsorption characteristics, followed by the scapulae, vertebrae, and legs. A correlation analysis demonstrated that the adsorption capacity of Cu(II) on bone char is closely related to surface pore characteristics. An adsorption kinetic analysis and physicochemical characterization of the chars indicate that the Cu(II) adsorption mechanism in bovine bone char is primarily surface chemisorption. Based on the different of physicochemical properties and sorption behavior, bone chars pyrolyzed from bovine ribs are most suitable for adsorption-related applications. The results of this study demonstrate the potential for classified utilization of animal bones, including the use of graded bone chars as low-cost adsorbents requiring no chemical pre-treatment.

Characterization of Bone Char and Carbon Xerogel as Sustainable Alternative Bioelectrodes for Bioelectrochemical Systems

Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) are growing future sustainable energy and chemical production technologies that combine biological catalytic redox activity with classic abiotic electrochemical reactions and physics. Several aspects of these systems, such as cell configuration, applied voltage, electrode materials, inoculum/substrate, and low-cost electrodes to facilitate scaling, have been studied and reported. This work focuses on the development of inexpensive materials with desirable characteristics for use as electrodes for BES. The two selected carbon-based anode materials were carbon xerogels and bone char; both have different surface morphologies and are carbonaceous materials with precursors that allow control of their porosity. Industrial-grade raw material and cattle bone waste were used to fabricate the anodes. The electrochemical properties of the bone char and carbon xerogel electrodes were characterized by the open circuit voltage (OCV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. Chronoamperometry was recorded for 25 days to follow the setup bioanodes. When the microbial bioanode process was completed, the bioelectrodes were immersed into fresh inoculum/substrate, and BES were operated for 10 days at the OCV until a relatively constant cell voltage output was achieved. The results show that the carbon xerogel surface area (468 m2/g) is 5 times higher than bone char, but the xerogel surface roughness is lower than that of the char. Similar to the electrochemical properties, the current density of the xerogel (25 mA/cm2) is 4 times less than that of the bone; therefore, the biofilm growth is promoted on the bone char surface. Our findings show that the bone char bioanode has a capacitance feature of 1.65 F/m2, which is even higher than the double layer capacitances of carbon-based materials reported in the literature. Hence, it is possible to use BES for simultaneous production and storage of renewable electricity.

Adsorption of fluoride by porous adsorbents: Estimating pore diffusion coefficients from batch kinetic data

A simple method is presented for extracting pore diffusion coefficients from batch adsorption kinetic data. The method employs the classic Langmuir kinetics model which is characterized by a single rate coefficient. An analytical solution in the form of a simple algebraic equation is available for this rate model. Fitting the algebraic equation to batch kinetic data to determine the rate coefficient is straightforward and can be conveniently accomplished using standard spreadsheet programs. The resultant rate coefficient can be converted to the pertinent pore diffusion coefficient via a separate algebraic expression. The proposed modeling approach provides accurate fits of experimental kinetic data taken from the literature and yields acceptable errors in the best estimates for pore diffusion coefficients. Specific examples discussed are the adsorption of fluoride by bone char and laterite adsorbents.

Application of Novel Clay Composite Adsorbent for Fluoride Removal

A novel cost-effective, eco-friendly clay composite adsorbent was developed towards fluoride remediation. Clay, Grog, Bone char, and Sawdust were dry mixed within volume ratios of (5:1:1:1), (4:2:2:1), and (3:3:3:1), respectively. The powders were mixed again with distilled water, pressed with disc shape; sun dried for three days and fired for one hour in the muffle furnace at 400oC, 500oC, and 600oC. The cooled discs were ground and sieved to obtain nine different composite powdered with particle size less than 1.18 mm. The developed composite adsorbent was characterized using advanced techniques: XRD, SEM, and FT-IR. The adsorption studies showed that among the developed adsorbents, composite with the volume ratio of (3:3:3:1) and optimized at firing temperature of 400°C exhibited maximum adsorption capacities of 91.6% fluoride removal efficiency. The XRD analysis revealed mixed phases in the composite, and the presence of OH¯ functional groups was indicated by FT-IR analysis. The experimental results indicated that the Langmuir model was found to fit better for the removal of fluoride ion and followed the pseudo-second-order rate equation. The composite clay material exhibited excellent removal efficiency for the real water samples analyzed.

Defluoridation of fluoride-rich groundwater in Mayo Tsanaga River Basin-Cameroon using locally produced bone char

With fluoride-rich groundwater causing a climatic-dependent fluorosis in Mayo-Tsanaga River Basin, the overall objective of this study was to reduce fluoride concentrations in drinking water to acceptable levels thereby improving the resilience of the population to this climate change induced pathology. The specific objectives were to: (1) assess water chemistry in the study area to re-affirm the undesirable fluoride levels; (2) assess the impact of seasons on the concentrations of fluoride; (3) construct and evaluate the performance of a household bone char-based adsorption defluoridation filter. A combination of hydrogeochemical and engineering analyses demonstrated that the groundwater is predominantly Ca+Mg-HCO3 type, which contains as much as 6.73 mg/l of undesirable concentrations of geogenic fluoride. These concentrations increased with elevated pH, electrical conductivity and in the dry season, and were reduced to less than 0.2 mg/l when the groundwater was subjected to filtration through 300 g of 0.2-0.8 mm faction of charred cow bones in a home-based defluoridation filter. The bone char in the filter can effectively reduce fluoride concentration to less than 0.7 mg/l, which is the local threshold limit, without negative impact on the organoleptic (taste, color and odor) characteristics of drinking water. Compared with the commercially activated carbon, the bone char has an additional capacity of adsorbing fluoride at a rate of 4 mg/liter in 30 minutes, which indicates that with a defined saturation time, the bone char filter can protect the population against climate change-induced fluoride enrichment in drinking water.Keywords: Groundwater. geogenic fluoride. climate dependent fluorosis. bone char defluoridation. water chemistry

A PXRF and TXRF study of The Portrait of a young gentleman (1539), by Lucas Cranach the Elder

Lucas Cranach the Elder is one of the most important German painters of the XV and XVI centuries. It is presented and discussed the technical examination of The Portrait of a Young Gentleman, a wood panel from the collection of São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder in 1539. In situ PXRF and laboratory TXRF were employed for the elemental characterization of the pigments. The results allowed us to characterize the materials present in the original painting as well as in past interventions. Among the obtained results, some of the original materials identified were Lead White, Chalk, Bone Black, White Vitriol, Azurite, Vermilion and earthy pigments, such as Red, Yellow and Brown Ochres.

Evaluation of several phosphate amendments on rare earth element concentrations in rice plant and soil solution by X-ray diffraction

The exploitation and smelting of rare earth resources lead to serious pollution of rare earth elements (REEs) in farmland around mining area. The influence of four kinds of phosphate amendments—phosphate rock (PR), superphosphate (SSP), bone char (BC), and calcium magnesium phosphate (CMP)—on the bioavailability of REEs and the uptake and accumulation of 15 types of REE in rice were conducted in this study. Soil solutions were collected at tillering stage, heading stage and maturing stage, and rice was harvested at maturing stage. The mechanism of phosphate amendments reducing the bioavailability of REEs was studied by X-Ray diffraction and ICP-MS. PR treatment inhibited rice growth, but SSP, BC and CMP treatments all promoted rice growth, improved biomass of roots, shoots and grains, and promoted the uptake of phosphorous in rice. When compared with the CK, SSP, BC and CMP reduced the total REE concentrations in rice roots by 82.2%, 67.9% and 89.6%, shoots by 75.4%, 40.1% and 65.5%, grains by 23.8%, 29.0% and 29.3%, respectively. PR, SSP, BC and CMP significantly reduced the concentrations of REEs in the soil solution at three stages of rice growth. Analytic results of X-ray diffraction shows that adding PR, SSP, BC and CMP can lead to the formation of rare earth phosphate in the soil, thus reduce the activity of the REEs in the soil. Because SSP releases H+ during its dissolution, which has the risk of activating REEs in soil, CMP and BC are potential materials for remediation of REE-contaminated soil.

Ефективність поглинання нафти сорбентами природного та штучного походження

Розглянуто глобальну екологічну проблему контамінації нафтою водних ресурсів та методи боротьби з нею. Досліджено ефективність простих і доступних способів очищення забрудненої нафтою води. Виявлено економічну вигоду від застосування сорбуючого методу боротьби з проблемою порівняно з механічним та диспергуючим методами. Сорбуючий метод є найменш економічно затратний та дуже зручний у застосуванні, оскільки передбачає використання широкого спектра сорбентів нафти. Перспективність цього методу полягає у доступності деяких природних і штучних матеріалів, які можна використати як сорбенти нафти. Проаналізовано практичне значення, переваги та недоліки природних і штучних сорбентів нафти, які широко використовують у різних галузях промисловості та національного господарства. Виявлено максимальну поглинальну здатність бавовни як природного матеріалу, який швидко абсорбує компоненти нафти та не потребує використання додаткових ресурсів для боротьби з контамінацією води. З'ясовано, що природний абсорбент чорне вугілля малоефективне порівняно з іншими методами очищення води від нафти та потребує тривалого часу та додаткових уловлювачів забруднення, що є економічно невигідно. Синтетичний полімер пінопласт і біле вугілля поглинають нафту за короткий час, однак в останньому випадку на поверхні води залишаються незначні плями. Виявлено, що не вся частина білого вугілля прореагувала з нафтовою масою, а випала в осад. Тому за ефективністю поглинання нафти природними та синтетичними матеріалами можна виділити такий ряд досліджених матеріалів: чорне вугілля → пінопласт → біле вугілля → бавовна.

The Study of Vietnamese Bonechar Synthesis and its Applications in Removal Organic Color

Biochar was synthesized from two material sources such as animal waste or plant waste. In this work, biochar was synthesized going from bovine bone waste at Vietnam country, called as Vietnamese bone char (VNBC). Many steps of process to VNBC synthesis, and its surface characteristics were investigated, respectively. The applications of VNBC being as adsorbents were examined then. The results of synthesis process were obtained the VNBC product sample with optimal condition to be at temperature of 650 oC, corresponding to 120 minutes. The analysis on surface properties of VNBC indicated that the specific surface area were 120.315 m2/g, with pore diameter as 87.48 Å measured by BJH (Barrett, Joyner and Halenda) method. The surface morphology with the particle size measured by SEM (Scanning Electronic Spectroscopy) method was 70 nm. The composition compounds of VNBC contained calcium carbonate-hydroxyl apatite with the formula was Ca10(PO4)5.65(CO3)0.64(OH)3.45 measured by FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) and XRD (X-Ray Diffraction Spectroscopy) methods, respectively. In application, VNBC uses at optimal condition as an adsorbent to remove the organic color solutions for instance KMnO4 and methylene blue (MB) were considered. The results of VNBC adsorbent to remove the colored solutions measured by UV/VIS (Ultraviolet Visible spectroscopy) method are obtained with adsorption capacity of KMnO4 as from 33.51 to 46.22 mg color/g BC, and MB from 12.1 to 15.04 mg color/g BC, respectively. These results shown that VNBC were able to use making a potential adsorbent in the treatment of wastewater contained organic color in industry.

Pseudomonas chlororaphis and organic amendments controlling Pythium infection in tomato

To create more resilient growing systems for greenhouse crops, the efficacy of different organic amendments alone and in combination with the biocontrol strain Pseudomonas chlororaphis 4.4.1 was tested to suppress Pythium disease in tomato plants. Four independent greenhouse experiments were performed with young tomato plants in potting soil. Inoculating the pathogen Pythium aphanidermatum to the potting soil prior to sowing resulted in significant losses of tomato plants; i.e. 94–98% healthy plants in pathogen-free control compared to 43–68% healthy plants when the pathogen was added. P. chlororaphis 4.4.1 inoculations increased the number of healthy plants in the potting soil up to 80% on average; soil and seed treatment were both effective. Numbers of P. chlororaphis in the rhizosphere had increased 4 to 100 fold 3 weeks after its inoculation (qPCR detection). All compost types reduced Pythium disease in potting soil resulting in 80–95% healthy plants. Animal bone char was not effective against P. aphanidermatum, whereas with plant-based biochar there was an effect, although not significantly different from the control treatment. Phosphorous and potassium uptake by the plants were elevated by the different organic amendments. These results demonstrate the potential of the organic amendments to enhance sustainability of growing media such as potting soil by increasing its disease suppressiveness, the re-use of nutrients and replacement of peat by using organic amendments. In addition, inoculating the growing medium or tomato seeds with the biocontrol strain P. chlororaphis 4.4.1 enhanced Pythium control in the susceptible growing media.

Adsorption of crystal violet from aqueous solution in continuous flow system using bone char

In the face of water scarcity and more strict environmental regulation, water treatment is a demand and reuse is being encouraged in diverse production processes. Advanced treatments, such as adsorption, may be indicated for specific and/or recalcitrant contaminants removal, such as dyes, present in textile industries wastewater, for example. However, the conventional adsorbents cost may be unattractive for such a purpose. In this context, bone char, 0.5–1.4 mm particle size, mesoporous structure, produced from tannery, food and cattle breeding waste, was tested to remove crystal violet dye from synthetic effluent, in a lab scale fixed bed adsorption column. A complete removal was observed up to 74 min of column operation. The greatest adsorption capacity (qo = 20.63 mg·g−1) was observed for the lowest flow rate evaluated (Q = 15.4 ± 0.8 mL·min−1) and intermediate bed depth (h = 24 cm) at 27.1 ± 0.9 °C. At the same operational conditions, the experimental breakthrough curve was better predicted by Yan model (qo = 20.42 mg·g−1; a = 1.667; b = 2.93 and R2 = 0.955) compared to Thomas model (qo = 22.44 mg·g−1; kTH = 0.056 mL·mg−1·min−1 and R2 = 0.878).

English

Composite biosorbents were produced from animal bone by carbonization, activation of animal bone char with phosphoric acid and zinc (II) chloride independently, and the obtained activated carbons were separately impregnated on chitosan. The chitosan was produced from chitin, which was extracted from shrimp shell through deminerization, deproteinization and deacetylation processes. Comprehensive characterization studies were carried out on the chitin, chitosan, and the resulting five biosorbents via proximate and ultimate analyses, and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Electron-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) analyses. The absorption bands of the standard chitosan from Sigma-Aldrich and the experimentally prepared chitosan were in excellent agreement. The results of this study showed that activated carbons impregnated on chitosan have the potential to be applied as alternative efficient low-cost and eco-friendly biosorbents for batch and continuous adsorption column experimentation. Key words: Biosorbents, chemical activation, chitin, chitosan, impregnation, characterization.