Adsorption of Arsenic(III) Using Iron(III)-Loaded Modified Sugarcane Begasse

Abstract

Arsenic is a toxic element and may be found in natural water as well as industrial wastes. Leaching of As from industrial wastes into ground water may cause significant contamination which requires proper treatment before its use as a drinking water. The chemistry of As and its natural occurrence in some water resources combine to create a potent, widespread human health risk, requiring management and removal from drinking water. The present study describes the removal of As(III) from water. Of the available conventional techniques, adsorption is the most versatile and effective separation technique and utilizes agricultural and natural waste as adsorbent. The study mainly focuses on the removal of As(III) on Fe(III) loaded modified Sugarcane begasse in batch studies as a function of pH, dosage of adsorbent and contact time. Kinetics revealed that the uptake of As(III) ion by rapid and equilibrium time was independent of initial As(III) concentration and the adsorption process followed a pseudo second-order kinetics equation. The As(III) was strongly dependent on pH and dosage of adsorbent. The adsorption isotherm best fit the Langmuir equation as compared to Freundlich.