On the application of photocatalyst-sorbent composite materials for arsenic(III) remediation: Insights from kinetic adsorption modelling
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Supporting information
Accepted version
Author(s)
Bullen, Jay
Lapinee, chaipat
Salaün, Pascal
Vilar, Ramon
Weiss, Dominik
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
TiO2-Fe2O3 composites show great promise for the removal of arsenic(III) from drinking water: this single material combines the photocatalytic capabilities of TiO2 for the oxidation of arsenite (i.e. As(III)) with the high adsorption capacity of iron oxides towards the arsenate (i.e. As(V)) subsequently produced. To design an effective treatment, it is necessary to balance high sorbent concentrations, providing long filter lifetimes, with low photocatalyst concentrations, to achieve effective penetration of light into the system. In this work, we construct a predictive model using experimentally determined As(III) adsorption isotherms and kinetics to estimate arsenic treatment plant lifetimes. We considered sorbent loading, treatment time, and batch treatment versus continuous-flow. Our model indicated that batch treatment is more efficient than continuous-flow at low sorbent concentrations (<100 g L-1), and therefore more appropriate for the photocatalyst-sorbent system. However, with <100 g L-1 sorbent, media should be replaced several times per year to maintain effective treatment. In contrast, slurries of >100 g L-1 sorbent could operate for an entire year without media replacement. This work highlights the important implications of sorbent concentration when we consider the multifunctional photocatalysts-sorbent system, and highlights the need for further experimental work to design efficient arsenic treatment plants.
Date Issued
2020-10-01
Date Acceptance
2020-05-08
Citation
Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2020, 8 (5)
ISSN
2213-3437
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
Volume
8
Issue
5
Copyright Statement
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Grant Number
EP/K503381/1
Subjects
0306 Physical Chemistry (incl. Structural)
0904 Chemical Engineering
0907 Environmental Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 104033
Date Publish Online
2020-05-18