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Cost-effective synthesis and characterization of CuO NPs as a nanosize adsorbent for As (III) remediation in synthetic arsenic-contaminated water

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Abstract

The lower concentration of arsenic in the groundwater is serious health concerns of the people who are continuously taking from their drinking water. In this study, synthetic arsenic-contaminated water was prepared in the laboratory with varying concentrations of arsenic (100 to 1000 μg/L) and treated by nanosize adsorbent (copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs)). The colloidal and powder form of CuO NPs were synthesized in the laboratory by the hydrothermal technique on a large scale and their shape and size were confirmed by XRD, FTIR, FESEM, and HRTEM analysis. It was found 30 ± 2 nm as size and spherical shape. The equilibrium adsorption of As (III) occurred at 90 min of contact time, pH 7.5, and 4 g/L adsorbent dosage. The maximum percent removal of As (III) was reached to 97.8, 94.6, 91.5, and 88.4% at an initial arsenic concentration of 100, 200, 500, and 1000 μg/L, respectively. The adsorption of As (III) followed pseudo-second-order kinetic and Freundlich isotherm model. Moreover, the overall cost of the synthesized CuO NPs (including material, operational, manpower, and transport cost with other overhead charges) was Rs. 281.832 g−1, which is lesser than the market price (Rs. 500.018 g−1). Hence, the optimized adsorption design would help for the efficient removal of As (III) from aqueous medium.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Ministry of Human Resources and Development (MHRD), Government of India, for the financial assistance of the first two authors. The technical staffs of the Environmental Engineering Section, Civil Engineering Department, NIT Patna are also duly acknowledged for their consistent support in the laboratory work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, India

    Indrajeet Kumar

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Patna, Patna, 800005, India

    Priya Ranjan & Abdur Rahman Quaff

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  1. Indrajeet Kumar
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  2. Priya Ranjan
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Correspondence to Indrajeet Kumar.

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Kumar, I., Ranjan, P. & Quaff, A.R. Cost-effective synthesis and characterization of CuO NPs as a nanosize adsorbent for As (III) remediation in synthetic arsenic-contaminated water. J Environ Health Sci Engineer 18, 1131–1140 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40201-020-00532-6

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