Removal of arsenic(V) using pure zeolite (PZ) and activated dithizone zeolite (ADZ) from aqueous liquids: application to green analytical chemistry

Anal Sci. 2024 Apr;40(4):755-763. doi: 10.1007/s44211-024-00509-7. Epub 2024 Feb 21.

Abstract

The primary aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the efficiency of pure zeolite and activated dithizone zeolite for arsenic(V) removal from aqueous solutions. The analytical eco-scale and analytical greenness for sample preparation results confirm that the proposed method is environmentally friendly. Zeolite adsorbents were characterized and tested for their ability to adsorb arsenic(V) from wastewater. Our study delved into arsenic(V) sorption behavior on pristine and activated zeolites. Through steady-state experiments using pure zeolite and activated dithizone zeolite, we examined the sorption of arsenic from aqueous solutions. We optimized operational parameters, including pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and arsenic(V) concentration. Our findings revealed that the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isothermal models were highly influential in fitting the experimental data, resulting in statistically significant outcomes. This study highlights the potential of zeolites as outstanding adsorbents for removing arsenic(V) from aqueous solutions. The calculated maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of pure zeolite and activated dithizone zeolite was 18.2 and 21.1(mg/g), respectively, with R2 = 0.999. According to Freundlich's linear model, the experimental isothermal data indicated that activated dithizone zeolite has a higher value of kf constant and a lower value of the 1/n constant than that obtained for pure zeolite. These results imply favorable adsorption of arsenic(V) on activated dithizone zeolite.

Keywords: Activated zeolite dithizone; Adsorption; Arsenic(V); Green analytical chemistry; Isotherm; Reaction kinetics.