Chapter 1
A Comprehensive Approach to Heavy
Metal Removal by Adsorption: A Review
Abstract In the years, the existence and accumulation of heavy metal in water has
become a general problem. Owing to the fact that these heavy metals tend to pose
health hazard to human and aquatic live if their concentration exceeds the maximum
contaminant level. This study seeks to review the use of chitin- and chitosan-based
material in comparison with some other adsorptive materials such as activated carbon,
zeolite and peat that have been used in the past for heavy metal ion removal. Their
merits and shortcomings in application are also discussed. The maximum adsorption
capacities obtained by these adsorbents from Langmuir isotherm model and the
conditions such as temperature, equilibrium time, initial concentration range and pH
at which these adsorption capacities were obtained are presented. The characteristics
of physical and chemical adsorption and factors affecting adsorption of metal ions
were presented and discussed. Consequently, the desorption of these ions from metalloaded adsorbent is also highlighted, as they provide important information of the
re-use of the adsorbent.
1.1 Introduction
Concerns about environmental deterioration have been continuously growing at
a significant rate annually initiatives towards environmental damage of all sorts
are implemented swiftly. Such interventions vary from basic restrictions to avoid
illegal disposal of hazardous substances to aggressive management systems aimed
at reducing the amount of waste produced at site [1]. Greatly influenced by contamination, water is among the most critical commodities on Earth today. Water contamination means one or perhaps more chemicals is developed in water to the point
that it poses a risk to humans or animals and makes the water unfit for drinking.
Popular contaminants that enter water bodies include solid wastes including disposable bags, bottles, tire dust, dissolved combustion gasses and contaminants from
numerous sectors such as mining, clothing, dyestuff, iron plating, steel manufacturers
and factories use water as a refrigerant [2]. Therefore, by scattering it safely, rivers
and other inland waters can actually clean up a considerable level of contamination.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Igberase et al., Enhanced Chitosan Material for Water Treatment,
Engineering Materials, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71722-3_1
1
A Comprehensive Approach to Heavy
Metal Removal by Adsorption: A Review
Abstract In the years, the existence and accumulation of heavy metal in water has
become a general problem. Owing to the fact that these heavy metals tend to pose
health hazard to human and aquatic live if their concentration exceeds the maximum
contaminant level. This study seeks to review the use of chitin- and chitosan-based
material in comparison with some other adsorptive materials such as activated carbon,
zeolite and peat that have been used in the past for heavy metal ion removal. Their
merits and shortcomings in application are also discussed. The maximum adsorption
capacities obtained by these adsorbents from Langmuir isotherm model and the
conditions such as temperature, equilibrium time, initial concentration range and pH
at which these adsorption capacities were obtained are presented. The characteristics
of physical and chemical adsorption and factors affecting adsorption of metal ions
were presented and discussed. Consequently, the desorption of these ions from metalloaded adsorbent is also highlighted, as they provide important information of the
re-use of the adsorbent.
1.1 Introduction
Concerns about environmental deterioration have been continuously growing at
a significant rate annually initiatives towards environmental damage of all sorts
are implemented swiftly. Such interventions vary from basic restrictions to avoid
illegal disposal of hazardous substances to aggressive management systems aimed
at reducing the amount of waste produced at site [1]. Greatly influenced by contamination, water is among the most critical commodities on Earth today. Water contamination means one or perhaps more chemicals is developed in water to the point
that it poses a risk to humans or animals and makes the water unfit for drinking.
Popular contaminants that enter water bodies include solid wastes including disposable bags, bottles, tire dust, dissolved combustion gasses and contaminants from
numerous sectors such as mining, clothing, dyestuff, iron plating, steel manufacturers
and factories use water as a refrigerant [2]. Therefore, by scattering it safely, rivers
and other inland waters can actually clean up a considerable level of contamination.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Igberase et al., Enhanced Chitosan Material for Water Treatment,
Engineering Materials, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71722-3_1
1