Extraction, characterization and adsorptive removal of copper and zinc from industrial effluents using shrimp shell-derived chitosan
Paper Details
Extraction, characterization and adsorptive removal of copper and zinc from industrial effluents using shrimp shell-derived chitosan
Abstract
The present study investigated the potential of shrimp shell-derived chitosan as an eco-friendly bio sorbent for the removal of copper (Cu²⁺) and zinc (Zn²⁺) from industrial effluents. Shrimp shell waste collected from seafood processing industries in the Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, India, was processed to extract chitin and subsequently converted into chitosan through sequential demineralization, deproteinization and microwave-assisted deacetylation. The extracted chitosan was characterized by determining its moisture content, ash content, pH, viscosity, degree of deacetylation and FTIR spectral characteristics. Batch adsorption experiments were performed to evaluate the influence of pH, adsorbent dosage, and temperature on the removal efficiency of copper and zinc. The extracted chitosan exhibited favorable physicochemical properties, including a moisture content of 8.5%, ash content of 0.78%, viscosity of 310 cP, pH of 6.4, and a degree of deacetylation of 87.32%. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of characteristic amino and hydroxyl functional groups responsible for metal adsorption. Industrial effluents contained measurable concentrations of copper (0.42 ± 0.03 mg L⁻¹), zinc (0.68 ± 0.04 mg L⁻¹), and lead (0.12 ± 0.01 mg L⁻¹), while cadmium was below the detection limit. Maximum adsorption efficiencies of 89.97% for copper and 96.36% for zinc were achieved under optimized conditions. Adsorption efficiency increased with adsorbent dosage but decreased with increasing temperature, indicating that the adsorption process was favorable under moderately acidic to neutral pH and lower temperature conditions. The findings demonstrate that shrimp shell-derived chitosan is an efficient, biodegradable, and low-cost bio sorbent for the removal of copper and zinc from industrial wastewater.
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