A review on the use of lignocellulosic materials for arsenic adsorption

Luisa Cardoso Maia; Liliane Catone Soares; Leandro Vinícius Alves Gurgel

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112397

A review on the use of lignocellulosic materials for arsenic adsorption

J Environ Manage. 2021 Jun 15:288:112397. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112397. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Authors

Luisa Cardoso Maia¹, Liliane Catone Soares¹, Leandro Vinícius Alves Gurgel²

Affiliations

¹ Group of Physical Organic Chemistry (GPOC), Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biological and Exact Sciences (ICEB), Federal University of Ouro Preto, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro s/n°, Bauxita, Ouro Preto, 35400-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
² Group of Physical Organic Chemistry (GPOC), Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biological and Exact Sciences (ICEB), Federal University of Ouro Preto, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro s/n°, Bauxita, Ouro Preto, 35400-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address: legurgel@ufop.edu.br.

PMID: 33823440
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112397

Abstract

In this review, bibliometric analysis was made of recent studies and current trends concerning the application of lignocellulosic materials as bioadsorbents for the removal of arsenic from aqueous systems. Evaluation was made of lignocellulosic adsorbents and their chemical characteristics, as well as interactions involved in the adsorption of arsenic, bioadsorbent reusage (desorption and re-adsorption), competition between co-existing ions in multi-element aqueous solutions, and applications of bioadsorbents in batch and continuous systems. Lignocellulosic biomass has been shown to be a promising source of new adsorbents, since it is a low-cost and renewable material. However, there seems to be no commercially available technology that uses bioadsorbents based on lignocellulosic biomass for arsenic removal. In addition, the structural modification of lignocellulosic biomass to improve its adsorption capacity and selectivity has proved to be a suitable strategy, with the service time and the selectivity of the bioadsorbent in the presence of co-existing ions the most critical aspects to be pursued. The competitive adsorption of co-existing anions (PO₄^3-, SO₄^2-, NO₃^-, and Cl^-) by the adsorption sites, as well as life-cycle assessment and cost analysis are rarely reported. Complexation, electrostatic attraction, ion exchange and precipitation were the main interactions involved in the adsorption of arsenic on lignocellulosic materials. However, most studies have failed to prove the nature of the interactions. Macroscopic methods can be useful to evaluate the adsorption mechanism of arsenic on bioadsorbents of complex structure, such as lignocellulosic biomass (modified or not). Nevertheless, the elucidation of the adsorption mechanism requires experiments based on measurements at the microscopic level. The upscaling of biosorption technology for arsenic removal will only be possible through studies that investigate: i) the interactions involved in the adsorption process; ii) the transfer of bench-scale experiments to pilot-scale experiments with real contaminated water with low arsenic concentration; and iii) the life-cycle assessment of biosorbents produced from lignocellulosic biomass.

Keywords: Biosorbent; Competitive adsorption; Desorption; Interaction; Mechanism; Water treatment.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adsorption
Arsenic* / analysis
Biomass
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Kinetics
Lignin
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
Water Purification*

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical
lignocellulose
Lignin
Arsenic