Calcium Alginate Beads Doped with Nano-ZrO2 and Activated Carbon of Annona reticulate Plant as an Effective Adsorbent for Water Remediation of Chromium(VI)

Abstract

An activated carbon produced from stems of Annona reticulate plant (SACAR) by conc. H2SO4 digestion, is observed to have strong affinity for toxic Cr(VI) ions. Its adsorptivity for Cr(VI) ions was enhanced by admixing it with ‘nano-ZrO2’ (Zr-SACAR)-synthesized adopting green methods. For ensuring easy filtration, the ‘active carbon + nanoparticle composite’ was immobilized in calcium alginate beads (Zr-SACAR-Ca). Optimum extraction conditions for these three adsorbents for the removal of Cr(VI) ions from water were investigated. The adsorption capacities were found to be 92.2 mg/g for SACAR; 109.83 mg/g for Zr-SACAR and 119.34 mg/g for Zr-SACAR-Ca. The sorption nature was characterized by XRD, FTIR, FESEM and EDX studies. The sorption mechanism was investigated using various isotherm models. Thermodynamic studies revealed the endothermic and spontaneous nature of sorption. The kinetics of adsorption was well defined by the pseudo-second-order model. The spent adsorbent are regenerated and reused until six cycles with marginal decrease in Cr-adsorptivity. The adsorbents developed are effectively applied in the treatment of polluted water samples collected from Ethiopia