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Use of Biopowders as Adsorbents of Potentially Toxic Elements Present in Aqueous Solutions

Santás-Miguel, Vanesa LU ; Lalín-Pousa, Vanesa ; Conde-Cid, Manuel ; Rodríguez-Seijo, Andrés and Pérez-Rodríguez, Paula (2025) In Materials 18(3).
Abstract

This study examines the adsorption and desorption behaviors of phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), fluoride (F), and chromium (Cr) in aqueous solutions on green materials such as cork bark (CB) and pine bark (PB). These materials are characterized by active functional groups and net negative charges on their surfaces and porous structures. The evaluation considers variations in contaminant concentrations (0.01–10 mM) and pH (3.5–12). Cork bark exhibited higher adsorption capacity for As and F, while PB was more effective for P and Cr. Adsorption isotherms followed the Freundlich and Langmuir models, indicating surface heterogeneity and multilayer adsorption for most potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Desorption tests demonstrated low rates,... (More)

This study examines the adsorption and desorption behaviors of phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), fluoride (F), and chromium (Cr) in aqueous solutions on green materials such as cork bark (CB) and pine bark (PB). These materials are characterized by active functional groups and net negative charges on their surfaces and porous structures. The evaluation considers variations in contaminant concentrations (0.01–10 mM) and pH (3.5–12). Cork bark exhibited higher adsorption capacity for As and F, while PB was more effective for P and Cr. Adsorption isotherms followed the Freundlich and Langmuir models, indicating surface heterogeneity and multilayer adsorption for most potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Desorption tests demonstrated low rates, with CB retaining up to 99% of F and 85% of As, and PB achieving up to 86% retention for Cr and 70% for P. The influence of pH was minimal for As, P, and F, but acidic conditions significantly enhanced Cr adsorption, showing similar behavior for both biopowders. These findings suggest that CB and PB biopowders are promising, environmentally friendly biosorbents for the removal of PTEs from aqueous solutions. Their effectiveness varies depending on the specific contaminant. This study highlights the potential of these natural materials for sustainable applications in water treatment and soil remediation.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
arsenic, chromium, cork bark, fluoride, phosphorous, pine bark, water pollution
in
Materials
volume
18
issue
3
article number
625
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • pmid:39942291
  • scopus:85217797622
ISSN
1996-1944
DOI
10.3390/ma18030625
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b9c8c33f-9c29-41bd-bcd6-23fa5d9dd38a
date added to LUP
2025-06-25 10:33:27
date last changed
2025-07-01 14:43:22
@article{b9c8c33f-9c29-41bd-bcd6-23fa5d9dd38a,
  abstract     = {{<p>This study examines the adsorption and desorption behaviors of phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), fluoride (F), and chromium (Cr) in aqueous solutions on green materials such as cork bark (CB) and pine bark (PB). These materials are characterized by active functional groups and net negative charges on their surfaces and porous structures. The evaluation considers variations in contaminant concentrations (0.01–10 mM) and pH (3.5–12). Cork bark exhibited higher adsorption capacity for As and F, while PB was more effective for P and Cr. Adsorption isotherms followed the Freundlich and Langmuir models, indicating surface heterogeneity and multilayer adsorption for most potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Desorption tests demonstrated low rates, with CB retaining up to 99% of F and 85% of As, and PB achieving up to 86% retention for Cr and 70% for P. The influence of pH was minimal for As, P, and F, but acidic conditions significantly enhanced Cr adsorption, showing similar behavior for both biopowders. These findings suggest that CB and PB biopowders are promising, environmentally friendly biosorbents for the removal of PTEs from aqueous solutions. Their effectiveness varies depending on the specific contaminant. This study highlights the potential of these natural materials for sustainable applications in water treatment and soil remediation.</p>}},
  author       = {{Santás-Miguel, Vanesa and Lalín-Pousa, Vanesa and Conde-Cid, Manuel and Rodríguez-Seijo, Andrés and Pérez-Rodríguez, Paula}},
  issn         = {{1996-1944}},
  keywords     = {{arsenic; chromium; cork bark; fluoride; phosphorous; pine bark; water pollution}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{Materials}},
  title        = {{Use of Biopowders as Adsorbents of Potentially Toxic Elements Present in Aqueous Solutions}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ma18030625}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/ma18030625}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}