Biosorption of nickel(II) and copper(II) ions from synthetic and real effluents by alginate-based biosorbent produced from seaweed Sargassum sp.

Abstract

In this study, the alginate-based biosorbent produced from seaweed Sargassum sp. was used in biosorption of Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions from synthetic solutions and real electroplating effluents. Biosorption kinetics, isotherms, pH effect, thermodynamic parameters, and sorption/desorption cycles were also evaluated. Kinetic studies show the sorption equilibrium can be obtained within 180 min for Ni²⁺ ions and 360 min for Cu²⁺ ions, and the adsorption kinetics data are well described by the pseudo-second order and diffusion in spherical adsorbents. Langmuir model can be well used to describe the biosorption isotherm data. The maximum sorption capacity (q_max) and Langmuir constant (b) were up to 1.147 mmol g⁻¹ and 1.139 L mmol^-1 for Ni²⁺ ions and 1.640 mmol g⁻¹ and 4.645 L mmol^-1 for Cu²⁺ ions. The calculated thermodynamic parameters (ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS°) showed that the biosorption of Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions are predominantly a chemical phenomenon of endothermic nature, favorable, and spontaneous at the temperature ranges of 293–313 K. Partial desorption of the Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions on the biosorbent was achieved using acidic and saline eluents, allowing the biosorbent to be used in new sorption/desorption cycles. EDX analysis suggests an ion exchange mechanism between calcium ions on the biosorbent and target metals. Biosorption of Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺ from real electroplating effluents with high concentrations of light metals becomes highly competitive, decreasing the amount of Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions biosorbed due to the ionic strength effect.

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