Application of micellar enhanced ultrafiltration for the removal of sunset yellow dye from aqueous media

In this article, we report the removal of a reactive dye, viz. sunset yellow, from the aqueous solution using micellar media of two cationic surfactants, viz. cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and ethyl hexadecyldimethyl ammonium bromide (. The values of rejection coefficient (R%) and permeate flux (J) have been calculated using membranes with different pore sizes, viz. 10,000 (10k) molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) and 30,000 (30k) MWCO at 1.5 bar transmembrane pressure. The membrane of 30k MWCO was found to be more suitable in order to retain the dye molecules incorporated in the micelles.     

Resistance in series model for micellar enhanced ultrafiltration of eosin dye

A study has been performed to quantify the extent of flux decline during micellar enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) of an acid dye (eosin red) using hexadecyl (cetyl) pyridinium chloride as the cationic surfactant. Effects of the operating conditions, e.g., transmembrane pressure drop and feed-surfactant-to-dye ratio, on the permeate flux profile and observed retention have been investigated in an unstirred batch ultrafiltration (UF) cell. A simple resistance-in-series model has been used to quantify the flux decline. From the flux decline history, it has been found that the membrane permeability decreases rapidly due to reversible pore blocking and further flux decline is caused by the growth of a gel-type layer over the membrane surface. The different resistances and growth kinetics of the gel layer have been investigated as functions of the operating conditions.     

Adsorption kinetics for arsenic removal from aqueous solutions by untreated powdered eggshell

The batch removal of arsenic from aqueous solution using low-cost adsorbent (powdered eggshell) under the influences of initial arsenic ion concentrations (0.50 to 1.50 mg/L), pH (3.2 to 11.5) and particle size of eggshells (63 to 150 μm) were investigated. Eggshells were collected from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, washed with distilled water, air dried, ground into powder and sieved into different sieve sizes using British standard sieve. Powdered eggshells were stored in a desiccator for use. Adsorption isotherms and dynamics of arsenic onto PES were studied. The study revealed that there was a slight reduction in the rate of adsorption of arsenic ion onto the larger particle size, but adsorption capacity and parameters were unaffected. Powdered eggshell with particle size of 63 μm removed up to 99.6% of the 1.5 mg/L of arsenic ion in synthetic water within the first 6 hours but decreased to 98.4% and 97.4% when the powdered eggshell particle sizes were increased to 75 and 150 μm respectively. The pH optimum for arsenic removal was 7.2. The adsorption isotherms and adsorption dynamic kinetic studied through the use of graphical method revealed that Freundlich, activated sludge adsorption and pseudo second-order kinetic models correlate significantly with the experimental data with correlation coefficient of not less than 0.964.     

Comparison of polymeric and ceramic membranes performance in the process of micellar enhanced ultrafiltration of cadmium(II) ions from aqueous solutions

A comparison of polymeric and ceramic membranes in the ultrafiltration process was studied and presented. This study was conducted on the separation of cadmium(II) ions, with particular reference to parameters such as hydrodynamic permeability coefficient, membrane fouling, amount of surfactant in the permeate, efficiency, and effectiveness of the process. The effect of ionic (SDS) and non-ionic (Rofam 10) surfactants or their mixture was investigated. The hydrodynamic permeability coefficient of the ceramic membrane was found to be much lower in comparison to those of the polymeric ones (1.69 × 10^?7 m³ h^?1 m^?2 Pa^?1, 5.66 × 10^?7 m³ h^?1 m^?2 Pa^?1, and 9.26 × 10^?7 m³ h^?1 m^?2 Pa^?1 for ceramic, CA, and PVDF, respectively). However, filtration of the surfactants solutions did not cause permanent blocking of pores and the surface of the ceramic membrane in contrast to the polymeric ones. No significant differences in surfactants permeation through the membranes tested were observed. Concentration of the surfactant in the permeate was lower than 1 CMC for the Rofam 10 solution and exceeded the CMC by about 40 % for the SDS solution. Better separation properties of polymer membranes for the separation of cadmium(II) ions from micellar systems were identified.     

Effective arsenic removal using polyacrylonitrile-based ultrafiltration (UF) membrane

Applicability of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based negatively charged ultrafiltration (UF) membrane for effective arsenic removal has been demonstrated, to our knowledge, for the first time. The hydrolysis of PAN-based UF membrane surface by NaOH leading to the formation of carboxylate (COO⁻) groups and reduction in initial pore size rendered As-V rejection capability by Donnan exclusion principle. A lowering in pore size was indicated by the reduction in water flux and elevation in rejection of protein and polyethylene glycol (PEG). NaOH treatment leading to formation of carboxylate group on the membrane surface was indicated by FTIR-ATR, while contact angle measurement indicated increased hydrophilicity. This treatment rendered membrane surface smoothening as confirmed by SEM and AFM analyses. The molecular weight cut off after the NaOH treatment was found to be 6 kDa. The rejection of pentavalent arsenic (As-V) by these surface modified membranes was studied with different feed concentration, cross-flow velocity, pressure, temperature and pH. Experiments with 50 ppb As-V in feed showed that arsenic rejection was close to 100% and remained constant up to 6 h. Feed sample concentration of 1000 ppb and 50 ppm of As-V showed >95% rejection at pH 7 and room temperature, but for 1000 ppm feed concentration, the rejection was 40–65%. For concentrations ≤50 ppm of arsenic in the feed, the rejection coefficient was not dependent on cross-flow velocity or transmembrane pressure. The rejection for 1000 ppm concentration of As-V varied from 40 to 65% with variation in the cross-flow velocity and transmembrane pressure as the concentration polarization was important.     

Response surface methodology for the modelling of copper removal from aqueous solutions using micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to study the cumulative effect of the various parameters, namely surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), anionic) concentration, pH, and surfactant/metal molar ratio and to optimise the process conditions for the maximum removal of copper from aqueous solutions via micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF). For obtaining the mutual interaction between the variables and optimising these variables, a central composite design (CCD) by use of response surface methodology was employed. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the quadratic model demonstrated that the model was highly significant. The model was statistically tested and verified by experimentation. Values of pH at the range of ca. 7.5 were very successful for the separation. The maximum rejection coefficient of 98.4% was obtained for the following optimal conditions: SDS/Cu²⁺ molar ratio *r = 7.85, *pH 7.36, *C_surf = 6.82 g/l SDS. A modification of micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration for the removal of copper from aqueous solutions was studied by the implementation of sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyethylene glycol (PEG) aggregates. A full factorial design (FFD) was employed for studying the effect of molar ratio of surfactant/metal, pH and mass ratio of surfactant/polymer at a constant concentration of surfactant equal to 5 g/l. The comparison of the two systems in the region of their common factors showed that the addition of polyethylene glycol caused a slight increase in rejection coefficient of copper but also could function as ‘scavenger’ for surfactant species.     

A semi-continuous laboratory-scale polymer enhanced ultrafiltration process for the recovery of cadmium and lead from aqueous effluents

A semi-continuous process of polymer enhanced ultrafiltration for removal of lead and cadmium has been elaborated. This operation mode would let a better coupling between industrial and laboratory-scale processes. Basically, it includes two stages: (1) metal retention, where we can obtain a permeate stream free of heavy metals; (2) polymer regeneration, where the polymer is regenerated in order to be reused in metal retention stage. In order to work in this way, a control system of permeate and feed stream flows has been installed in a batch laboratory-scale plant. In the first place, more suitable hydrodynamic operating parameters were obtained by ultrafiltration experiments. The influence of pH has been studied to fix the pH for metal retention and polymer regeneration experiments, and the operative polymer binding capacity has been determined to know the metal amount that can be treated. A mathematical model taking into account both conservation equations and competitive reactions which occur in the medium has been established. The development of this mathematical model (which is in good agreement with experimental data) enables to estimate design parameters to dimension pilot and industrial scale installations based on this process.     

Optimization of cadmium adsorption from aqueous solutions by functionalized graphene and the reversible magnetic recovery of the adsorbent using response surface methodology

Novel functionalized graphene adsorbent was prepared and characterized using different techniques. The prepared adsorbent was applied for the removal of cadmium ions from aqueous solution. A response surface methodology was used to evaluate the simple and combined effects of the various parameters, including adsorbent dosage, pH, and initial concentration. Under the optimal conditions, the cadmium removal performance of 70% was achieved. A good agreement between experimental and predicted data in this study was observed. The experimental results revealed of cadmium adsorption with high linearity follow Langmuir isotherm model with maximum adsorption capacity of 502 mg g^?1, and the adsorption data fitted well into pseudo‐second order model. Thermodynamic studies showed that adsorption process has exothermic and spontaneous nature. The recommended optimum conditions are: cadmium concentration of 970 mg L^?1, adsorbent dosage of 1 g L^?1, pH of 6.18, and T = 25 °C. The magnetic recovery of the adsorbent was performed using a magnetic surfactant to form a noncovalent magnetic functionalized graphene. After magnetic recovery of the adsorbent both components (adsorbent and magnetic surfactant) were recycled by tuning the surface charges through changing the pH of the solution. Desorption behavior studied using HNO₃ solution indicated that the adsorbent had the potential for reusability.     

Effects of membrane hydrophilicity on the removal of a trihalomethane via micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration process

Micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) process was explored for obtaining pure water from an aqueous solution containing small amount of trihalomethanes (THMs). A homologous series of polyethylene glycol alkylether was used as nonionic surfactant. To understand effects of membrane hydrophilicity on the performance of MEUF process, membranes for the ultrafiltration were prepared from polysulfone blends containing various amount of a hydrophilic copolymer, poly(1-vinylpyrrolidone-co-acrylonitrile) (P(VP-AN)). An increase in the permeate flux was observed with an increase of the membrane hydrophilicity. The performance of MEUF process in removing THM and surfactant was shown to depend on the membrane characteristics, surfactant characteristics, and operating pressure. The rejections of THM and surfactant were increased with increasing hydrophobicity of surfactant and hydrophilicity of membrane. The rejections of THM examined with hydrophilic membranes were increased with increasing operating pressure, while those examined with hydrophobic membranes were decreased with increasing operating pressure. THM included in water could be removed up to 99% via MEUF process. The performance of MEUF examined with hydrophilic membranes could be explained with the rejection of micelles containing THM, while that examined with hydrophobic membranes could be explained with hydrophobic interactions between surfactant and membrane materials.     

Shellfish waste-derived mesoporous chitosan for impressive removal of arsenic(V) from aqueous solutions: A combined experimental and computational approach

Novel shellfish waste-derived chitosan (CS) has been developed to adsorb As(V) from simulated wastewater under evaluating adsorption process parameters. The coexistence of some competing ions, like SiO₃^2-, Cl^-, NO₃^– and PO₄^3- as well as the regeneration capacity of the spent adsorbent, was explored. The experimental data were modeled using several kinetics and isotherm models to understand the mechanism related to the uptake process. As(V) uptake was relatively rapid and highly dependent on pH. The Avrami-fractional-order expression supported data best, while the Liu equation described well isotherm data at pH 5.0. The maximum uptake capability (Liu) was 12.32 mg/g, and the highest removal performance (99 %) was obtained at optimum pH 5.0. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to more clearly illuminate the atomic-level interactions between arsenic species and CS surface in both acidic and basic mediums. After four adsorption–desorption cycles, CS exhibited more than 90 % As(V) removal efficiency. The results of this study indicates that low cost shellfish derived chitosan is promising for efficient removal of As(V) from water body and can be used to remove other pollutants from watewater.     

Optimization of adsorption parameters for Fe (III) ions removal from aqueous solutions by transition metal oxide nanocomposite

Manganese oxide nanocomposite (Mn₂O₃/Mn₃O₄) was prepared by sol-gel technique and used as an adsorbent. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) were used to characterize the adsorbent. The response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to evaluate the effects of solution pH, initial Fe (III) ions concentration, adsorbent weight, and contact time on the removal ratio of the Fe (III) ions. A total of 27 adsorption experimental runs were carried out employing the detailed conditions designed based on the Box-Behnken design (BBD). Results showed that the pH of the solution and initial Fe (III) ions concentration were the most significant parameters for Fe (III) ions removal. In process optimization, the maximal value of the removal ratio of Fe (III) was achieved as 95.80%. Moreover, the corresponding optimal parameters of adsorption process were as: contact time?=?62.5?min, initial Fe (III) concentration?=?50?mg/L, adsorbent weight?=?0.5?g, and pH?=?5. The experimental confirmation tests showed a strong correlation between the predicted and experimental responses (R²?=?0.9803). The fitness of equilibrium data to common isotherm equations such as Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin were also tested. The sorption isotherm of adsorbent was best described by the Langmuir model. The kinetic data were analyzed using pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, intraparticle diffusion, and Elovich kinetic models. The adsorption kinetics of Fe (III) ions were well fitted with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model.     

Simultaneous recovery of cadmium and lead from aqueous effluents by a semi-continuous laboratory-scale polymer enhanced ultrafiltration process

Performance of a semi-continuous polymer enhanced ultrafiltration (PEUF) process has been investigated for the simultaneous recovery of cadmium and lead from binary mixtures. This method uses poly(acrylic acid) as water-soluble polymer to bind these metals. Experiments have taken place in a laboratory-scale system. Loading ratio (mg total metal ions/g polymer) and pH values for separation of cadmium and lead have been studied by means of preliminary experiments, analyzing their influence on permeate flux, metal rejection coefficients and separation factor.The proposed process includes three different stages: total retention of metal ions, selective separation and polymer regeneration. Operating pH values for total retention of metal ions and polymer regeneration processes are 5 and 2, respectively. Selective separation has been investigated working at an intermediate pH value. In this way, if a stream containing 12.5 ppm of each metal ion (1:1 in weight) is treated in the first stage, two different streams enriched in each metal ion are obtained in the second stage. Permeate stream is enriched in cadmium with a proportion near 5:1 in weight, and retentate is enriched in lead with a similar proportion.Finally, the three stages have been modelled successfully with a mathematical model based on conservation equations and chemical reactions taking place in solution.     

Bioaccumulation of arsenic by freshwater algae (Nostoc sp.) and the application to the removal of inorganic arsenic from an aqueous phase

An arsenic-resistant blue-green alga, Nostoc sp., was screened from an arsenic-polluted environment. The effects of the culture conditions on the growth and the arsenic bioaccumulation were investigated. In five culture media tested, Microcystis aeruginosa medium was found to be optimum for the growth. The effects of the concentration of five nutrients (P, Co, Fe, Mo and N) in the MA medium on arsenic bioaccumulation by the Nostoc sp. were also investigated. From the experimental results, the authors proposed a new culture medium which was designed for effective arsenic bioaccumulation by the Nostoc sp. The new medium was named the Modified MA medium (abbreviated as MMA). Removal of arsenic from an aqueous phase by means of arsenic bioaccumulation by the Nostoc sp. was investigated. When arsenic-polluted water was enriched with the nutrients of MMA, the arsenic level was found to be effectively lowered by the Nostoc sp. to 0.05 ppm.     

Removal of tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide from synthetic liquid wastes of electronic industry through micellar enhanced ultrafiltration

In this paper, the separation of tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) from synthetic liquid wastes of electronic industry is carried out by using a micellar enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) process. This treatment represents the first step of an integrated process, aimed at the recovery of TMAH and surfactant and water reuse. The laboratory tests are carried out with an ultrafiltration module using initial solutions having a concentration of pollutant equal to 2?g/L and by adding sodium dodecyl sulfate as a surfactant, at a concentration in the range 4–10?mM/L, that is, under and above its critical micellar concentration (CMC). The experiments have been carried out at a fixed temperature of 25°C. The obtained results showed that very good percentage removals of TMAH are achieved (99%), especially when the surfactant was above the CMC.     

Iron-modified light expanded clay aggregates for the removal of arsenic(V) from groundwater

Iron modified materials have been proposed as a filter medium to remove arsenic compounds from groundwater. This research investigated the removal of arsenate, As(V) from aqueous solutions by iron-coated light expanded clay aggregates (Fe-LECA). Arsenic is effectively adsorbed by Fe-LECA in the optimum pH range 6-7 by using a 10 mg mL^− 1 adsorbent dose. Kinetics experiments were performed to investigate the adsorption mechanisms. Electrostatic attraction and surface complexation were proposed to be the major arsenic removal mechanisms. The experimental data fitted the pseudo-first-order equation of Lagergren. For an arsenic concentration of 1 mg L^− 1, the rate constant (k₁) of pseudo-first-order was 0.098 min^− 1, representing a rapid adsorption in order to reach equilibrium early. Equilibrium sorption isotherms were constructed from batch sorption experiments and the data was best described by the Langmuir isotherm model. Large scale column experiments were conducted under different bed depths, flow rates, coating duration and initial iron salts concentration to determine the optimal arsenic removal efficiency by Fe-LECA column. Volumetric design as well as higher hydraulic detention time was proposed to optimize the efficiency of the column to remove arsenic. In addition, concentrated iron salts and longer coating duration were also found to be crucial parameters for arsenic removal. The maximum arsenic accumulation was 3.31 mg of As g^− 1 of Fe-LECA when the column was operated at a flow rate of 10 mL min^− 1 and the LECA was coated with 0.1 M FeCl₃ suspension for a 24 h coating duration.     

Removal of As(III) and Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions by Bixa orellana leaf biosorbent and As(III) removal using bacterial isolates from heavy metal contaminated site

Arsenic and chromium have affected wider area in the world including Gangetic plains of India due to its toxicity and carcinogenic characteristics. Entry of As(III) into food chain has also escalated problem. A novel approach has been adopted to develop remediation technique using bacteria and herbs. The bioremediation study showed Bixa orellana as an accumulator of As(III) of Cr(VI) which was validated by SEM-EDX, FTIR and other kinetic analyses. Maximum percentage removal of Cr(VI) with fixed bio mass of B. orellana is 82.8% for an initial concentration of 3 ppm Cr(VI) concentration whereas maximum percentage removal of As(III) is 40.42 for an initial concentration of 6 ppm As(III).The R² values and graphs showed that Freundlich as well as Elovich model best fitted to the experimental data. Three bacteria isolated from the coal mines of Rajmahal hills showed As(III) resistance and bioremediation potentials (up to 150 ppm). The 16S rRNA genotyping of these isolates was done (GenBank accession no: MK231250, MK231251 and MK231252) which showed similarity with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Uncultured gamma proteobacteria clone and Bacterium E1. Further, the presence of genes involved in arsenic biotransformation like aox, acr and ars was also confirmed in these bacterial isolates. Maximum percentage removal od As(III) in 50 ppm concentration by ASBBRJM16, ASBBRJM85 and ASBBRJM87 bacteria are 60.66%, 28.36% and 10.30% respectively for an initial concentration of 50 ppm As(III). Our results suggest that bacterial isolates may be adopted as an effective tool to remove As(III) from aqueous medium in spite of different cell structures and composition.     

Application of response surface methodology for optimization of Orange Ⅱ removal by heterogeneous Fenton-like process using Fe_3O_4nanoparticles

In this study, Fe3O4nanoparticles（Fe3O4NPs） were successfully prepared via oxidation–precipitation method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, X-ray diffraction（XRD） and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FT-IR）. The characterization results indicated that Fe3O4 NPs with regular crystal structure and a narrow of diameters had been synthesized successfully and had high purity. A series of experiments were carried out to investigate the degradation of Orange II by the obtained heterogeneous Fe3O4 catalysts in the presence of H2O2. The response surface methodology（RSM） based on Box–Behnken design（BBD） was employed to design and optimize individual and interactive effects of the four main independent parameters（catalyst loading, initial p H, reaction temperature and H2O2concentration） on decolorization efficiency of Orange II. A significant quadratic model（p-value 〈0.0001, R2= 0.9369） was derived using analysis of variance（ANOVA）. Optimum conditions were catalyst loading of 1.5 g/L, initial p H of 2.7, reaction temperature of 42 8C and H2O2 concentration of 22 mmol/L, respectively. The predicted decolorization rate under the optimum conditions as determined by the proposed model was 99.55%. Confirmatory tests were carried out and the decolorization rate of 99.49% was observed under the optimum conditions, which agreed well with the model prediction.     

聚二甲基二烯丙基氯化铵及其与CTAB混合物水溶液 的吸附动力学

用最大泡压法分别测定了聚二甲基二烯丙基氯化铵,十六烷基三甲基溴化铵以及两者混合物水溶液的动表面张力。十六烷基三甲基溴化铵的吸附服从扩散-动力学控制机理。发现聚二甲基二烯丙基氯化铵水溶液的表面张力具有独特的时间相关性。吸附的前期服从扩散控制机理,而在吸附的后期,即接近吸附平衡时服从扩散-动力学控制机理。混合物水溶液的整个吸附过程受扩散控制。     

Copper recovery by polymer enhanced ultrafiltration (PEUF) and electrochemical regeneration

In this work, the removal of Cu²⁺ from a synthetic effluent has been tested by means of polymer enhanced ultrafiltration (PEUF), using partially ethoxylated polyethylenimine (PEPEI) as water-soluble polymer. Overall, the two necessary steps of a hypothetical continuous process, metal retention (in total recirculation and discontinuous mode) and polymer regeneration (in discontinuous mode), have been confronted individually. On the one hand, the values of temperature (T), transmembrane pressure (ΔP), metal–polymer ratio and pH that maximize both, permeate fluxes and rejection coefficients, have been obtained by ultrafiltration tests, reaching Cu²⁺ retention coefficients higher than 97%. On the other hand, the polymer regeneration step has been carried out by the electrochemical technique, which consists in the metal electrodeposition on the cathode of an electrochemical cell. In a first step, cyclic voltammetries have been carried out to assure the polymer does not suffer any oxidation or reduction process. From these tests, a cathodic working potential has been selected to minimize hydrogen evolution reaction (−0.7 V vs. Ag/AgCl). Working at this voltage in deposition tests, a pH of 3.3 has been selected from experiments at different pH values. This pH is less extreme than the pH necessary if this step was carried out chemically (pH 2).     

Separation of BTEX compounds (benzene,toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes) from aqueous solutions using adsorption process

A commercial synthetic zeolite (Na-ZSM-5) was modified with an organic surfactant, HDTMA-Br. Then both unmodified and modified zeolite (SMZ-100) were tested to adsorb Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX) compounds from water solution. Adsorption tests were done in batch conditions at the ambient temperature (20?°C) and pressure. Adsorbents were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and characterization results proved the existence of surfactant on the surface of the adsorbent. In all cases, the modified zeolite sample, because of increasing the hydrophobicity of its surface, exhibited higher adsorption capacity in comparison with unmodified zeolite. Also, for each adsorbent, the adsorption capacity follows the order: E?>?X?>?T?>?B. In equilibrium experiments, Langmuir isotherm model fitted the equilibrium data better than the Freundlich model. In kinetic experiments, the pseudo-second order model described the kinetic data better than the other models.