Porous titania beads for remediation of arsenic contamination from acid mine drainage

Hierarchically porous titania beads with and without amine functionalisation have been developed and tested as adsorbents for removal of highly toxic As(V) from environments affected by acid mine drainage (AMD). The unique acid stability of the titania framework enables these adsorbents to function in highly acidified environ-ments and their granular form facilitates practical deployment under continuous flow conditions. Herein, both non-functionalised and amine-functionalised titania beads have been demonstrated to selectively remove As(V) from simulated and real AMD solutions at pH 2.6. Novel selectivity for As(V) over Na(I), Mg(II), Al(III), Si(VI), Ca (II), Co(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Nd(III) and Ho(III) was achieved, with competing element concentrations similar to or up to an order of magnitude greater than that of As(V). Although Fe(III) and some Fe(II) were also adsorbed by the titania beads, Fe adsorption did not inhibit As(V) adsorption, indicating different adsorption mechanisms for these two elements. The As(V) adsorption capacity of the titania beads decreased from-20 mg/g from pure As (V) solution to-10 mg/g from real AMD solution, demonstrating the importance of adsorbent testing under applied conditions. Amine functionalisation increased the kinetics of adsorption, but the non-functionalised titania beads showed greater selectivity for As(V) over Fe(II) and Fe(III) and hence were considered prefer-able for As remediation applications. Nevertheless, the functionalisation ability of the porous titania beads makes them a promising, flexible technology for remediation of a wide range of AMD affected environments.

Automated summary

Hierarchically porous titania beads with and without amine functionalisation were developed as adsorbents for highly toxic As(V) removal from acid mine drainage (AMD)-affected environments. The beads showed selective removal of As(V) over other competing elements, with different adsorption mechanisms for Fe(II)/Fe(III). The adsorption capacity of As(V) decreased in real AMD solutions, and non-functionalised titania beads were considered preferable for As remediation due to their greater selectivity. Porous titania beads with functionalisation offer a promising and flexible technology for remediating AMD-affected environments.