Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026

Removal of Arsenic Using a Cationic Polymer Gel Impregnated with Iron Hydroxide
Published on: June 28, 2019
Enhanced arsenic removal using mixed metal oxide impregnated chitosan beads
Jamila S Yamani1, Sarah M Miller, Matthew L Spaulding
1Yale University, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, 9 Hillhouse Ave., Mason Lab 301, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
Abstract:
Mixed metal oxide impregnated chitosan beads (MICB) containing nanocrystalline Al₂O₃ and nanocrystalline TiO₂ were successfully developed. This adsorbent exploits the high capacity of Al₂O₃ for arsenate and the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ to oxidize arsenite to arsenate, resulting in a removal capacity higher than that of either metal oxide alone. The composition of the beads was optimized for maximum arsenite removal in the presence of UV light. The mechanism of removal was investigated and a mode of action was proposed wherein TiO₂ oxidizes arsenite to arsenate which is then removed from solution by Al₂O₃. Pseudo-second order kinetics were used to validate the proposed mechanism. MICB is a more efficient and effective adsorbent for arsenic than TiO₂-impregnated chitosan beads (TICB), previously reported on, yet maintains a desirable life cycle, free of complex synthesis processes, toxic materials, and energy inputs.
Related Concept Videos
Extraction: Advanced Methods
Coagulation
Precipitation and Co-precipitation
Microbial Leaching
Microbial Bioremediation of Uranium
Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect

