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Nanomedicine & Nanotechnology Open Access Research Article 7 min read

Performance of Physicochemical Processes for the Removal of Cu2+ from Water: A Review

Zaghloul A*
* Corresponding author
ISSN: 2574-187X  10.23880/nnoa-16000304  Received: March 21, 2024  Published: April 04, 2024
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Keywords
Elimination Processes Cu2+ ions Adsorption Wastewater
Abstract

Today, in many regions of the world, fresh water resources for the production of drinking water are non-existent or insufficient in relation to population growth or industrial production, making it necessary to resort to water treatment processes. Elimination likely to rid this water of toxic elements before any discharge. Several purification techniques based on physicochemical and biological processes are used, including ion exchange, coagulation-flocculation, membrane separation and adsorption methods. The main objective of this work is to compare the performances of these techniques for the retention of Cu2+ ions. The results obtained indicate that the selected processes have great potential for the elimination of Cu2+ ions in aqueous solution and in particular the process of adsorption.

Introduction

Throughout the world, the quality of water continues to deteriorate due to various sources of human and natural pollution; for this reason, it is estimated that only 1% of the total reserves of water quantity is actually available to humans [1]. Among the pollutants widely researched because of their proven toxicities, we cite heavy metals. The target organs of this toxicity are: the nervous system, blood, bones and other organs. In most countries, industrial and agri-food activities produce emissions that are heavily loaded with heavy metals. Industrial effluents such as Cu2+ ions represent a major environmental problem which requires the implementation of treatment techniques for the reuse of purified water [2]. In this context, much effort has been devoted to the effective removal of Cu2+ ions. Traditional methods commonly used for the removal of Cu2+ ions in aqueous solution include ion exchange [3], membrane filtration [4], coagulation and flocculation [5] and adsorption [6, 7]. The adsorption process is suitable for a wide pH range. The adsorbent material is easily bonded to the metal and the operating conditions are easy and efficient. In this short review, we will develop the different Cu2+ ion treatment processes, namely the operating principle, performance, advantages and disadvantages of each process.

Processes using for Eliminating Cu2+ ions in Aqueous Solution

Coagulation-Flocculation: Coagulation-flocculation is a process used to reduce water turbidity by removing suspended solids and collecting them in the form of flocs, which are separated by settling, flotation and/or filtration [8]. The flocculation aids most commonly used in the flocculation process are: Polyelectrolytes and activated silica-based adjuvants. The removal of Cu2+ ions from aqueous solutions by the coagulation-flocculation process has been the subject of several studies [9, 10, 11]. Ion Exchange: Ion exchange is a process that has been widely used to remove heavy metals due to its many advantages, such as high treatment kinetics, speed and increased metal retention efficiency [12]. Ion exchange resins, either natural or solid synthetic resins, have a specific ability to exchange their cations with metals in wastewater. Among the most widely used materials in the ion exchange process, synthetic resins are commonly preferred as they are effective in removing virtually all heavy metals, and in particular Cu2+ ions, from solution [13, 14]. Membrane Processes: Membrane processes are physical treatment processes in which the water to be treated is passed through a porous membrane that stops the passage of any molecule larger than the pore size. The removal of Cu2+ ions from aqueous solutions by membrane processes has been carried out by various research teams [15, 16, 17, 18]. Adsorption: Absorption is one of the most widely studied physico-chemical processes, particularly at solid-liquid interfaces. It involves the retention of ions or molecules on the surface of a solid (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Diagram of adsorption phenomenon.
Click to enlarge
Figure 1: Diagram of adsorption phenomenon.

In other words, it is the passage from the dissolved state to the adsorbed state. The opposite phenomenon is desorption. During retention, and depending on the categories of attractive forces, the amount of energy released and the nature of the bonds involved, two types of adsorption can be distinguished: physical adsorption and chemical adsorption.

Adsorption capacity depends on a number of parameters, such as the physicochemical properties of the adsorbent, i.e. specific surface area, granulometry and porosity. And the chemical properties of the adsorbate, such as pH of the reaction medium and temperature (Tables 1-3).

PropertiesPhysisorptionChemisorption
TempératureRelativement bassePlus élevée
Type of connection,Type physicsChemical type
Adsorbate-adsorbentVan der WaalsCovalent or ionic
EnergyWeakHigh
DesorptionEasyDifficult
KineticsVery fastVery slow
Separation techniquesAdvantagesDisadvantages
Physicochemical methodsAdsorptionHigh adsorption capacity for all heavy metalsLow surface area for some adsorbents
Physicochemical methodsMembrane filtrationEffective for all heavy metals with high quality effluentsSuitable for treating low volume and production of sludge.
Physicochemical methodsIon exchangeNo loss of sorbentsOrganic contamination of resin

Table 1: Main characteristics of physisorption and chemisorption.

Ci (mg.L-1)pHR (%)T (°C)Reference
Orange peel505.510025[20]
Activated carbon from Rice Hulls155.59825[21]
chitin-based30077525[22]
Chitosane30077025[22]
Modified chitosane30078525[22]
Modified orange peel505.59530[23]
Sawdust of Meranti wood100959530[24]
Natural bentonite5056530[25]

Table 2: Performance of adsorption processes for the elimination of Cu2+ using different adsorbents.

Conclusion

In this study, the selected physicochemical processes show great performance for the retention of Cu2+ ions. Adsorption is an alternative solution for retaining metal ions in wastewater, particularly Cu2+ ions. In this process the adsorption parameters such as, the initial concentration of adsorbent, Temperature, pH of the solution well control the difference in the retention rate for the different materials.

References

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@article{zaghloul2024,
  title   = {Performance of Physicochemical Processes for the Removal of
Cu2+ from Water: A Review},
  author  = {Zaghloul A},
  journal = {Nanomedicine & Nanotechnology Open Access},
  year    = {2024},
  volume  = {9},
  number  = {2},
  doi     = {10.23880/nnoa-16000304}
}
Zaghloul A (2024). Performance of Physicochemical Processes for the Removal of
Cu2+ from Water: A Review. Nanomedicine & Nanotechnology Open Access, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.23880/nnoa-16000304
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Performance of Physicochemical Processes for the Removal of
Cu2+ from Water: A Review
AU  - Zaghloul A
JO  - Nanomedicine & Nanotechnology Open Access
PY  - 2024
VL  - 9
IS  - 2
DO  - 10.23880/nnoa-16000304
ER  -