Effective mercury(II) bioremoval from aqueous solution, and its electrochemical determination

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Mercury contamination poses a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems and human health.
• Conventional mercury removal methods can be costly and inefficient.
• There is a need for sustainable and economical solutions for mercury remediation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of agricultural waste (Allium Cepa L.) for mercury removal from contaminated water.
• To determine the adsorption kinetics and isotherm models governing mercury uptake.
• To propose a real-time mercury determination method using a mercury-selective electrode.

Main Methods:

• Adsorption experiments using Allium Cepa L. biomass to remove mercury(II) ions.
• Kinetic and isotherm modeling (pseudo-second order and Langmuir models).
• Development and application of a mercury-selective electrode for continuous monitoring.

Main Results:

• Allium Cepa L. biomass achieved 99.4% mercury removal.
• Adsorption followed pseudo-second order kinetics (R² = 0.9999) and fitted the Langmuir model.
• Maximum mercury adsorption capacity was 111.1 ± 0.3 mg g⁻¹.
• The biomass contains strong mercury chelating groups, indicating economic viability.
• A mercury-selective electrode was successfully implemented for real-time determination.

Conclusions:

• Allium Cepa L. biomass is a highly effective and economical adsorbent for mercury removal.
• The study provides a sustainable approach for environmental remediation of mercury-contaminated water.
• The proposed mercury-selective electrode offers a valuable tool for real-time environmental monitoring.