Phosphate removal from aqueous solutions with a zirconium-loaded magnetic biochar composite: performance, recyclability, and mechanism

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 1938 - 1948
• Main Authors: Gao, Wei, Li, Zaixing, Yin, Sijie, Zhang, Miaoyu, Liu, Xiaoshuai, Liu, Yanfang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 2023
• Subjects: Adsorption; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Charcoal; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Kinetics; Magnetic Phenomena; Phosphates - chemistry; Research Article; Waste Water Technology; Water; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Pollution Control; Zirconium - chemistry; Phosphate removal; Zirconium; Magnesium ferrite; Biochar; Recyclability
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22354-9

Phosphate (P) removal is significant for water pollution control. In this paper, a novel penicillin biochar modified with zirconium (ZMBC) was synthesized and used to adsorb P in water. The results showed that ZMBC had a porous structure and magnetic properties, and the zirconium (Zr) was mainly present in the form of an amorphous oxide. P adsorption displayed strong pH dependence. The Freundlich model described the adsorption process well, and the saturated adsorption capacity was 27.97 mg/g (25 ℃, pH  = 7). The adsorption kinetics were consistent with the pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption rates were jointly controlled by the surface adsorption stage and intraparticle diffusion stage. Coexisting anion experiments showed that CO 3 2− inhibited P adsorption, reducing the adsorption capacity by 62.63%. The adsorbed P was easily desorbed by washing with a 1 M NaOH solution, and after 5 cycles, the adsorbent had almost the same capacity. The mechanism for P adsorption was inner-sphere complexation and electrostatic adsorption.