Removal
of arsenic from contaminated water: Phytoaccumulation
and
adsorbent-based removal by activated carbon prepared
from
Typha tripholia
A.
Gupta1, V. Kumar1, P. Singh2, L. Verma1,
S.G. Pratap1 and P.K. Singh1*
1Division of
Environment Science, School of Basic Sciences, Babu Banarasi Das University,
Lucknow-226 028, India
2Department of
Chemistry and Biochemistry, Sharda University, Greater Noida-201 310, India
*Corresponding
Author Email :
singh_p_kumar@rediffmail.com *ORCiD:
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0061-6609
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Abstract
Aim:
To assess the phytoaccumulation efficiency of arsenic in different parts of Typha
tripholia (cattail) grown in the natural habitat of a pond located in
Rada village of Bijua block, district Lakhimpur Kheri (U.P.) and to develop
an adsorbent based removal technology by activated carbon prepared from Typha
tripholia (ACTT) using physical activation.
Methodology: Phytoaccumulation of arsenic was studied in cattail
plants. Rhizomes and leaves of plants were used to prepare activated carbon.
The morphological characterization and surface structure were studied by
using different modern techniques like Scanning electron microscopy (SEM),
Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and Brunauer-Emmett- Teller (BET). The
adsorption efficiency and removal of arsenic were studied by using different
doses of ACTT, i.e., 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 g 100 m l-1 in the
known solution of arsenate (30 ppb).
Results:
The arsenic concentration in pond water was 19 µg l-1, which was
higher than the permissible limit (10 µg l-1) of WHO, while in the
soil it was 123 µg kg-1. The maximum As concentration in the root was 360 µg
kg-1, while in the stem and leaf, it was 20 µg kg-1 and
26 µg kg-1, respectively. Characteristics properties of ACTT
showed amorphous nature and it contained 81.71 % carbon while other elements
like oxygen (10.65 %), chloride (2.12 %) and potassium (5.52%) were also
detected. The porosity of ACTT was 1.271 × 10-3 cc g-1 with pore
volume 3.7 × 10-3 cc g-1, while the pore size, pore width, and
pore diameter were 4.498 nm, 2.0208 nm and 4.498 nm, respectively. Removal of
arsenic increased on increasing the dose of activated carbon, and the maximum
adsorption (99.6%) was observed at 1.5 g 100-1 ml further it
decreased.
Interpretation: Thus, Typha
tripholia may be used as phytoremediation, a plant-based green technology
for the removal of As from contaminated water while ACTT acts as a good
adsorbent for As, due to its large surface area and pore space and a high
degree of surface reactivity.
Key words: Arsenic removal, Activated carbon, Adsorption,
Cattail, Phytoaccumulation
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