Uranium biosorption from aqueous solution onto Eichhornia crassipes

Zheng-ji Yi; Jun Yao; Hui-lun Chen; Fei Wang; Zhi-min Yuan; Xing Liu

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.01.012

Uranium biosorption from aqueous solution onto Eichhornia crassipes

J Environ Radioact. 2016 Apr:154:43-51. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.01.012. Epub 2016 Feb 6.

Authors

Zheng-ji Yi¹, Jun Yao², Hui-lun Chen³, Fei Wang³, Zhi-min Yuan³, Xing Liu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Functional Organometallic Materials of College of Hunan Province, Department of Chemistry and Material Science, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang 421008, China; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and National International Cooperation Base on Environment and Energy, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Xueyuan Road No. 30, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China.
² School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and National International Cooperation Base on Environment and Energy, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Xueyuan Road No. 30, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China. Electronic address: yaojun@ustb.edu.cn.
³ School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and National International Cooperation Base on Environment and Energy, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Xueyuan Road No. 30, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Functional Organometallic Materials of College of Hunan Province, Department of Chemistry and Material Science, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang 421008, China.

PMID: 26854553
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.01.012

Abstract

Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the biosorption of U(VI) from aqueous solutions onto the nonliving biomass of an aquatic macrophyte Eichhornia crassipes. The results showed that the adsorption of U(VI) onto E. crassipes was highly pH-dependent and the best pH for U(VI) removal was 5.5. U(VI) adsorption proceeded rapidly with an equilibrium time of 30 min and conformed to pseudo-second-order kinetics. The Langmuir isotherm model was determined to best describe U(VI) biosorption with a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 142.85 mg/g. Thermodynamic calculation results indicated that the U(VI) biosorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis implied that the functional groups (amino, hydroxyl, and carboxyl) may be responsible for the U(VI) adsorption process, in which the coordination and ion exchange mechanisms could be involved. We conclude that E. crassipes biomass is a promising biosorbent for the removal of uranium pollutants.

Keywords: Biosorption; Eichhornia crassipes; Isotherm; Kinetics; Uranium.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adsorption
Eichhornia / metabolism*
Kinetics
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
Photoelectron Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
Thermodynamics
Uranium / metabolism*
Water Pollutants, Radioactive / metabolism*

Substances

Water Pollutants, Radioactive
Uranium