Influence of the pH on the functional groups and its effect in the biosorption of arsenic

摘要

Arsenic poisoning through drinking water ingestion is a worldwide issue affecting millions of people. As(Ⅲ) and As(Ⅴ) are the biggest threat to health. The biosorption represents a feasible solution when compared against conventional removal techniques. The biosorption has been described as a surface process, where the binding sites of the biosorbent determine the efficiency of the contaminant removal. At the same time, the efficiency of these binding sites is highly dependent on the pH. Currently, there is a lack of generalization on how certain surfaces may show affinity with specific heavy metals while not with others. The purpose of this study is to understand the influence of the pH on the arsenic adsorption mechanism of different types of algae.