Journal article
Use of agricultural bio-wastes to remove arsenic from contaminated water
Environmental Geochemistry and Health, Vol.45, pp.5703-5712
08/2023
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Abstract
Arsenic (As) is a highly toxic metalloid. High As levels have been recorded in groundwater aquifers at a global scale. This study investigated As level in groundwater of District Vehari and assessed the potential of different agricultural by-products (sugarcane bagasse, cottonseed hulls, soybean hulls, corncobs and rice husk) to remove As from water. The study was carried out in two steps. In the first step, a total of 38 groundwater samples were obtained from Vehari. Groundwater samples were analyzed for total As contents and physicochemical parameters. Results indicated that As content ranged from below detection limit to 49 µg/L in the groundwater samples. The values of hazard quotient and cancer risk were up to 1.5 and 0.0004, respectively, which delineated severe risk of As poisoning. During the second step, six As-contaminated groundwater samples (total As contents: 49, 40, 29, 24, 18, 16 µg/L) were selected to remove As using agricultural by-products. Furthermore, four As solutions (200, 100, 50 and 25 µg/L) were prepared in the laboratory. Results revealed that corncobs and soybean hulls removed, respectively, 98% and 71% As from aqueous mediums after 120 min. Moreover, agricultural by-products were less effective in removing As from groundwater samples than synthetic solutions. The adsorption/removal capacity of by-products was lower at low initial As concentration compared to high initial levels, which needs further studies to explore the underlying mechanisms. Overall, the As removal efficiency of agriculture by-products differed significantly with respect to initial As level, contamination category, type of agricultural by-products and interaction duration. Therefore, these aspects need to be optimized before the possible use of an agricultural by-product as a potential biosorbent.
Details
- Title
- Use of agricultural bio-wastes to remove arsenic from contaminated water
- Creators
- Zunaira Shabbir - Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University IslamabadMuhammad Shahid - Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University IslamabadNatasha Natasha - Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University IslamabadSana Khalid - Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University IslamabadSamina Khalid - Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University IslamabadMuhammad Imran - Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University IslamabadMuhammad Imran Qureshi - Department of Mathematics, COMSATS University IslamabadNabeel Khan Niazi - University of Agriculture Faisalabad
- Publication Details
- Environmental Geochemistry and Health, Vol.45, pp.5703-5712
- Publisher
- Springer Netherlands
- Grant note
- The corresponding author thanks the financial support from HEC Pakistan for research project “7770/Federal/ NRPU/R&D/HEC/ 2017” and ORIC, CUI for funding a project # 16-25/CRGP/CIIT/VEH/17/1141.
- Identifiers
- 991012951191302368
- Copyright
- © Springer Nature B.V. 2020
- Academic Unit
- Science; Faculty of Science and Engineering; School of Environment, Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article