SUSTAINABLE REMEDIATION OF LEAD FROM GROUNDWATER USING A CHEMICALLY MODIFIED SUPERABSORBENT BASED ON A POLYSACCHARIDE FROM ARTEMISIA VULGARIS SEEDS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71000/bxzq1792Keywords:
Adsorption, Artemisia vulgaris, Biopolymers, Environmental Remediation, Esterification, Lead, PolysaccharidesAbstract
Background: Lead contamination of water resources remains a major environmental and public health concern due to its persistence, bioaccumulation, and well-documented systemic toxicity. Conventional treatment technologies are often costly and environmentally burdensome, prompting increasing interest in sustainable, bio-based sorbents. Plant-derived polysaccharides, particularly seed mucilages, offer attractive physicochemical properties that can be further enhanced through chemical modification to improve heavy metal binding efficiency.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the lead (Pb²⁺) adsorption efficiency of succinylated Artemisia vulgaris polysaccharide converted into its sodium salt form (Na-AVP) and to optimize key operational parameters governing Pb²⁺ removal from aqueous systems.
Methods: Artemisia vulgaris seed mucilage was isolated and chemically modified via esterification with succinic anhydride, followed by neutralization using sodium bicarbonate to obtain Na-AVP. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of initial Pb²⁺ concentration, solution pH, sorbent dosage, contact time, and temperature on adsorption performance. Residual Pb²⁺ concentrations were quantified using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy, and sorption capacity and removal efficiency were calculated using standard mass balance equations.
Results: Na-AVP exhibited strong Pb²⁺ adsorption behavior, with sorption capacity increasing with initial metal concentration and reaching saturation at higher levels. Optimal Pb²⁺ removal was achieved at pH 6, an initial Pb²⁺ concentration of 130 mg L⁻¹, a sorbent dose of 30 mg, a contact time of 60 min, and a temperature of 298 K. Under these conditions, Pb²⁺ removal efficiency exceeded 90%, with equilibrium sorption capacity approaching 130 mg g⁻¹. Adsorption proceeded rapidly, with approximately 85% of total uptake occurring within the first 30 min, and decreased slightly with increasing temperature, indicating an exothermic process.
Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that Na-AVP is an efficient, low-cost, and environmentally friendly biosorbent for Pb²⁺ removal from contaminated water. Its rapid uptake, high sorption capacity, and favorable operational conditions highlight its potential for application in sustainable groundwater and wastewater treatment systems, with scope for extension to other heavy metal contaminants.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Samia Yaqoob, Muhammad Awais Bhatti, Muhammad Ashraf Shaheen (Author)
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