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Effectiveness of cork and pine bark powders as biosorbents for potentially toxic elements present in aqueous solution

González-Feijoo, Rocío ; Santás-Miguel, Vanesa LU ; Arenas-Lago, Daniel ; Álvarez-Rodríguez, Esperanza ; Núñez-Delgado, Avelino ; Arias-Estévez, Manuel and Pérez-Rodríguez, Paula (2024) In Environmental Research 250.
Abstract

Cork oak and pine bark, two of the most prolific byproducts of the European forestry sector, were assessed as biosorbents for eliminating potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from water-based solutions. Our research suggests that bioadsorption stands out as a viable and environmental eco-friendly technology, presenting a sustainable method for the extraction of PTEs from polluted water sources. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficiency of cork powder and pine bark powder as biosorbents. Specifically, the adsorption of Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni, Pb and Sn at equilibrium were studied through batch experiments by varying PTEs concentrations, pH, and ionic strength. Results from adsorption-desorption experiments demonstrate the... (More)

Cork oak and pine bark, two of the most prolific byproducts of the European forestry sector, were assessed as biosorbents for eliminating potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from water-based solutions. Our research suggests that bioadsorption stands out as a viable and environmental eco-friendly technology, presenting a sustainable method for the extraction of PTEs from polluted water sources. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficiency of cork powder and pine bark powder as biosorbents. Specifically, the adsorption of Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni, Pb and Sn at equilibrium were studied through batch experiments by varying PTEs concentrations, pH, and ionic strength. Results from adsorption-desorption experiments demonstrate the remarkable capacity of both materials to retain the studied PTE. Cork powder and pine bark powder exhibited the maximum retention capacity for Fe and Cd, while they performed poorly for Pb and Sn, respectively. Nevertheless, pine bark showed a slightly lower retention capacity than cork. Increasing the pH resulted in cork showing the highest adsorption for Zn and the lowest for Sn, while for pine bark, Cd was the most adsorbed, and Sn was the least adsorbed, respectively. The highest adsorption of both materials occurred at pH 3.5–5, depending on the PTE tested. The ionic strength also influenced the adsorption of the various PTEs for both materials, with decreased adsorption as ionic strength increased. The findings suggest that both materials could be effective for capturing and eliminating the examined PTEs, albeit with different efficiencies. Remarkably, pine bark demonstrated superior adsorption capabilities, which were observed to vary based on the specific element and the experimental conditions. These findings contribute to elucidating the bio-adsorption potential of these natural materials, specifically their suitability in mitigating PTEs pollution, and favoring the recycling and revalorization of byproducts that might otherwise be considered residue.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Biosorbents, Cork powder, Ionic strength, Pine bark
in
Environmental Research
volume
250
article number
118455
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:38367838
  • scopus:85185593106
ISSN
0013-9351
DOI
10.1016/j.envres.2024.118455
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
836c0f01-1d0b-4e93-aacc-4fd8b09855ef
date added to LUP
2024-03-15 14:16:36
date last changed
2024-04-26 11:38:12
@article{836c0f01-1d0b-4e93-aacc-4fd8b09855ef,
  abstract     = {{<p>Cork oak and pine bark, two of the most prolific byproducts of the European forestry sector, were assessed as biosorbents for eliminating potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from water-based solutions. Our research suggests that bioadsorption stands out as a viable and environmental eco-friendly technology, presenting a sustainable method for the extraction of PTEs from polluted water sources. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficiency of cork powder and pine bark powder as biosorbents. Specifically, the adsorption of Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni, Pb and Sn at equilibrium were studied through batch experiments by varying PTEs concentrations, pH, and ionic strength. Results from adsorption-desorption experiments demonstrate the remarkable capacity of both materials to retain the studied PTE. Cork powder and pine bark powder exhibited the maximum retention capacity for Fe and Cd, while they performed poorly for Pb and Sn, respectively. Nevertheless, pine bark showed a slightly lower retention capacity than cork. Increasing the pH resulted in cork showing the highest adsorption for Zn and the lowest for Sn, while for pine bark, Cd was the most adsorbed, and Sn was the least adsorbed, respectively. The highest adsorption of both materials occurred at pH 3.5–5, depending on the PTE tested. The ionic strength also influenced the adsorption of the various PTEs for both materials, with decreased adsorption as ionic strength increased. The findings suggest that both materials could be effective for capturing and eliminating the examined PTEs, albeit with different efficiencies. Remarkably, pine bark demonstrated superior adsorption capabilities, which were observed to vary based on the specific element and the experimental conditions. These findings contribute to elucidating the bio-adsorption potential of these natural materials, specifically their suitability in mitigating PTEs pollution, and favoring the recycling and revalorization of byproducts that might otherwise be considered residue.</p>}},
  author       = {{González-Feijoo, Rocío and Santás-Miguel, Vanesa and Arenas-Lago, Daniel and Álvarez-Rodríguez, Esperanza and Núñez-Delgado, Avelino and Arias-Estévez, Manuel and Pérez-Rodríguez, Paula}},
  issn         = {{0013-9351}},
  keywords     = {{Biosorbents; Cork powder; Ionic strength; Pine bark}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Environmental Research}},
  title        = {{Effectiveness of cork and pine bark powders as biosorbents for potentially toxic elements present in aqueous solution}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2024.118455}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.envres.2024.118455}},
  volume       = {{250}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}