A chemometric approach using I-optimal design for optimising Pb(II) removal using bentonite-chitosan composites and...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Lead (Pb(II)) contamination poses significant environmental and health risks.
• Developing efficient and cost-effective adsorbents is crucial for heavy metal remediation.
• Bentonite-Chitosan (Bt-Ch) composites and beads are promising materials for water purification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize adsorption parameters for Pb(II) removal using Bentonite-Chitosan (Bt-Ch) adsorbents.
• To evaluate and compare the adsorption performance of Bt-Ch composites and beads (Type A and B).
• To demonstrate the utility of I-optimal experimental design for simultaneous optimization of multiple adsorbents and responses.

Main Methods:

• Adsorption experiments were conducted using a batch procedure.
• Pb(II) ion concentrations were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES).
• An I-optimal design (response surface methodology) was employed to optimize pH, adsorbent dosage, and initial concentration.

Main Results:

• A reduced quadratic model accurately described the experimental data with high reproducibility (CV < 2%).
• Adsorbent dosage significantly impacted adsorption capacity, while initial pH most affected adsorption efficiency.
• Optimized Bt-Ch beads exhibited higher adsorption capacities (73.2–77.6 mg/g) than composites (51.7 mg/g), with near 100% efficiency achieved for all adsorbents.

Conclusions:

• I-optimal design is an effective and economical chemometric tool for optimizing multi-adsorbent systems.
• Optimized Bt-Ch beads demonstrate superior performance for Pb(II) removal compared to composites.
• The study provides valuable insights into Pb(II) adsorption mechanisms and adsorbent performance optimization.