Treatment of a mining water effluent for the sorption of heavy metal ions using polymer composite beads in a continuous column

• Published in: Water and environment journal : WEJ Vol. 35; no. 4; pp. 1204 - 1216
• Main Authors: Arenas‐Flores, Edgar R., Almeida‐Escalante, Omayra, Conejo‐Flores, Ricardo, García‐González, Juan M., Rojas‐Amaro, Antonio, Terres‐Rojas, Eduardo, Guzmán‐Pantoja, Javier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.11.2021
• Subjects: Alcohols; Beads; Cadmium; Chitosan; chitosan‐PVA gel beads; Chromium; column sorption; Composite materials; Configurations; Fixed beds; Fluidized beds; Gels; Groundwater; Groundwater mining; heavy metal ions; Heavy metals; Metal ions; mining influenced groundwater; Packed beds; Polymer matrix composites; Polymers; Polyvinyl alcohol; Reduction (metal working); Sorbents; Sorption
• ISSN: 1747-6585; 1747-6593
• DOI: 10.1111/wej.12710

The performance of novel chitosan‐poly(vinyl alcohol) gel beads was evaluated removing lead, cadmium and chromium from mining‐influenced groundwater (MIGW) under hydrodynamic conditions employing column sorption experiments. To elicit the efficiency of the synthesized materials, the sorbent bed height within the packed column and volumetric flow were varied; the column configuration was changed using packed and fluidized arrangements. The fluidized bed configuration presented higher sorption efficiency for Pb, Cd and Cr ions than the fixed bed configuration: 78%, 52% and 62% against 60%, 35% and 37%. The packed bed data were processed using the Clark, Dose–Response, Yoon‐Nelson and Woldborska models. The best fitting was obtained with the Dose–Response model. The experimental output confirmed the effective reduction of the harmful metals in MIGW at a very short breakthrough time from 3 to 15 min, which is strategic due to the global effects on both human health and environment.