Adsorptive removal of trivalent and pentavalent arsenic from aqueous solutions using iron and copper impregnated melanin extracted from the marine bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri.

The metalloid arsenic is one of the most conspicuous groundwater contaminants in the Indian subcontinent and its removal from aqueous medium is the main focus of this study. The study aims at functionalising melanin using iron and copper for the efficient removal of arsenic and rendering water fit for consumption. Melanin obtained from the marine bacteria Pseudomonas stutzeri was functionalised by iron impregnation (Fe-melanin) and copper impregnation (Cu-melanin). Morphological studies using FESEM portrayed the impregnated iron and copper granules on the surface of melanin, while XRD analysis confirmed the presence of Fe2O3 and CuO on melanin. Adsorption studies on As (V) and As (III) were conducted using Fe-melanin and Cu-melanin for different operating variables like pH, temperature and contact time. More than 99% per cent of As (III) and As (V) from water was removed at a pH range between 4 and 6 within 50 min in the case of Fe-melanin and 80 min for Cu-melanin. Adsorption equilibrium studies showed better fit with Langmuir adsorption isotherm and had good agreement with Redlich-Peterson's three-parameter model. The maximum adsorption capacities of Fe-melanin and Cu-melanin obtained from Langmuir adsorption model are 50.12 and 20.39 mg/g, respectively, for As (V) and similarly 39.98 and 19.52 mg/g, respectively, for As (III). Arsenic-binding to the functionalised melanin was confirmed using FT-IR and the XPS analysis. Reuse of the adsorbent was effectively done by desorbing the iron and copper together with the bound As (III) and As (V) and further re-impregnation of iron and copper in melanin. Re-functionalised melanin showed 99% adsorption efficiency up to four cycles of adsorption/desorption.

Batch and continuous studies on the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution using biosynthesised melanin-coated PVDF membranes.

Heavy metals like mercury, chromium, lead and copper present in groundwater at lower concentrations cause severe health issues and can even be fatal when consumed. The biopigment/biopolymer melanin can be reaped from different sources like bacterium, fungus, and human hair. It has excellent heavy metal ion scavenging property and can be exploited for non-biological applications, substantially including water purification. In this work, melanin nanoparticles were derived from the marine bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri and were coated onto hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane as a support, for batch and continuous removal of heavy metal studies. Batch studies on the effect of pH, temperature and adsorbate dose and continuous adsorption studies on the effect of flow rate, adsorbate and adsorbent mass loadings were carried out by using biosynthesised melanin-coated PVDF membranes for the removal of Hg(II), Cr(VI), Pb(II) and Cu(II). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed the surface morphology, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) deciphered the chemical characteristics of melanin-coated PVDF membranes before and after adsorption. Contact angle measurement confirmed the improvement in hydrophilicity of PVDF membrane upon coating with melanin. The maximum removal percentages of heavy metals achieved by melanin-coated PVDF membranes under batch mode operation were 87.6%, 88.45%, 91.8% and 95.8% for mercury, chromium, lead and copper, respectively optimised at 318 K and pH of 3 for chromium and 5 for other metals. However, the continuous mode of operation with a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min having 1 mg/L of heavy metal solution concentration exposed to 50 mg of melanin loading with a working volume of 200 mL showed better removal efficiencies compared with batch mode. The dynamic studies using Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models described the transient stage of the breakthrough curve and the model constants were calculated for column design and scale-up.

Data on the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution by adsorption using melanin nanopigment obtained from marine source: Pseudomonas stutzeri.

Heavy metals are one of deadly contaminants in ground water across the globe. Thus, herein, this data set comprises experimental and modelled data on the removal of heavy metals from ground water using melanin synthesized by the marine bacteria Pseudomonas stutzeri. Characterization of biosynthesized melanin and modelling of the kinetic and the thermodynamic study on adsorption of heavy metals such as mercury (Hg(II)), lead (Pb(II)), chromium (Cr(VI)), and copper (Cu(II)) are included in this article. Apart from the study of parameters involved in adsorption such as pH, temperature, concentration and time; the data from these studies are modelled to analyze the nature and characteristic of heavy metals adsorbing to melanin nanoparticles. The figures from models, results from models as tables, characterization and analytical figures are depicted in this work.

Kinetic and thermodynamic studies on the adsorption of heavy metals from aqueous solution by melanin nanopigment obtained from marine source: Pseudomonas stutzeri.

The difficulty in removal of heavy metals at concentrations below 10 mg/L has led to the exploration of efficient adsorbents for removal of heavy metals. The adsorption capacity of biosynthesized melanin for Mercury (Hg(II)), Chromium (Cr(VI)), Lead (Pb(II)) and Copper (Cu(II)) was investigated at different operating conditions like pH, time, initial concentration and temperature. The heavy metals adsorption process was well illustrated by the Lagergren's pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the equilibrium data fitted excellently to Langmuir isotherm. Maximum adsorption capacity obtained from Langmuir isotherm for Hg(II) was 82.4 mg/g, Cr(VI) was 126.9 mg/g, Pb(II) was 147.5 mg/g and Cu(II) was 167.8 mg/g. The thermodynamic parameters revealed that the adsorption of heavy metals on melanin is favorable, spontaneous and endothermic in nature. Binding of heavy metals on melanin surface was proved by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Contemplating the results, biosynthesized melanin can be a potential adsorbent for efficient removal of Hg(II), Cr(VI), Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution.