Valorization of keratin biofibers for removing heavy metals from aqueous solutions

Abstract

Four common waste keratin biofibers (human hair, dog hair, chicken feathers, and degreased wool) have been used as biosorbents for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Different parameters of the biosorption processes were optimized in batch systems. For multiple-metal systems, consisting of a mixture of eight metal ions [Cr(III), Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II)], the total metal biosorption increased in the order: degreased wool > chicken feathers > human hair > dog hair. From the kinetic models tested, the pseudo-second-order model provided better results. Furthermore, biosorption isotherms of Pb(II) with the different keratin biofibers fitted the Langmuir model. Surface morphology of the biosorbents were analyzed before and after the sorption using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The keratin biofibers tested are potentially good sorbents of metal ions, with degreased wool and chicken feathers being the more efficient ones.

Keywords

environmental sustainability heavy metal keratin kinetic study sorption waste reduction

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ali

Gupta

. Advances in water treatment by adsorption technology. Nat Protoc 2007; 1(6): 2661–2667.

Lazaridis

Kyzas

Vassiliou

et al.

Chitosan derivatives as biosorbents for basic dyes. Langmuir 2007; 23(14): 7634–7643.

Davis

Volesky

Vieira

RHSF

. Sargassum seaweed as biosorbent for heavy metals. Water Res 2000; 34(17): 4270–4278.

Gao

Xie

Song

. Removal of the heavy metal ions from aqueous solution using modified natural biomaterial membrane based on silk fibroin. Ecol Eng 2017; 99: 343–348.

Khosa

Ullah

. In-situ modification, regeneration, and application of keratin biopolymer for arsenic removal. J Hazard Mater 2014; 278: 360–371.

Millington KR and Rippon JA. Wool as a high-performance fiber. In: Bhat G (ed.) Structure and Properties of High-Performance Fibers. Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing, 2017, pp. 367–408.

Naik

Wen

Dharmaprakash

et al.

Metal ion binding properties of novel wool powders. J Appl Polym Sci 2010; 115: 1642–1650.

Saini

Melo

. Biosorption of uranium by human black hair. J Environ Radioact 2015; 142: 29–35.

Wang

Lin

Juang

. Removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions using various low-cost adsorbents. J Hazard Mater 2003; 102(2-3): 291–302.

10.

Volesky

. Detoxification of metal-bearing effluents: biosorption for the next century. Hydrometallurgy 2001; 59(2-3): 203–216.

11.

Wang

Chen

. Biosorbents for heavy metals removal and their future. Biotechnol Adv 2009; 27(2): 195–226.

12.

Hazzaa

Hussein

. Adsorption of cationic dye fromaqueous solution onto activated carbon prepared from olivestones. Environ Technol Innov 2015; 4: 36–51.

13.

Masson

Gineys

Delpeux-Ouldriane

et al.

Single, binary, and mixture adsorption of nine organic contaminants onto a microporous and a microporous/mesoporous activated carbon cloth. Microporous Mesoporous Mater 2016; 234: 24–34.

14.

Gadd

. Interactions of fungip with toxic metals. New Phytol 1993, pp. 25–60.

15.

Ungureanu

Santos

Boaventura

et al.

Arsenic and antimony in water and wastewater: overview of removal techniques with special reference to latest advances in adsorption. J Environ Manage 2015; 151: 326–342.

16.

Ahalya

Ramachandra

Kanamadi

. Biosorption of heavy metals. Res J Chem Environ 2003; 7(4): 71–79.

17.

Ballester

Castro

Costa

MCL

et al.

Design of remediation pilot plants for the treatment of industrial metal-bearing effluents (BIOMETAL DEMO project): Lab tests. Hydrometallurgy 2017; 168: 103–115.

18.

Sud

Mahajan

Kaur

. Agricultural waste material as potential adsorbent for sequestering heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions – A review. Bioresour Technol 2008; 99(14): 6017–6027.

19.

Demirbas

. Heavy metal adsorption onto agro-based waste materials: a review. J Hazard Mater 2008; 157(2–3): 220–229.

20.

Bailey

Olin

Bricka

et al.

A review of potentially low-cost sorbents for heavy metals. Water Res 1999; 33(11): 2469–2479.

21.

Crini

. Recent developments in polysaccharide-based materials used as adsorbents in wastewater treatment. Prog Polym Sci 2005; 30(1): 38–70.

22.

Hackbarth

Girardia

de Souza

SMAGU

et al.

Marine macroalgae Pelvetia canaliculata (Phaeophyceae) as a natural cation exchanger for cadmium and lead ions separation in aqueous solutions. Chem Eng J 2014; 242: 294–305.

23.

Keshtkar

Mohammadi

Moosavian

. Equilibrium biosorption studies of wastewater U(VI), Cu(II) and Ni(II) by the brown alga Cystoseira indica in single, binary and ternary metal systems. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2015; 303: 363–376.

24.

Ungureanua

Santosa

SCR

Volf

et al.

Biosorption of antimony oxyanions by brown seaweeds: Batch and column studies. J Environ Chem Eng 2017; 5: 3463–3471.

25.

Kong

Liu

et al.

Adsorption behavior and mechanism of heavy metal ions by chicken feather protein-based semi-interpenetrating polymer networks super absorbent resin. RSC Adv 2016; 6: 83234–83243.

26.

Banat

Al-Asheh

Al-Rousan

. Comparison between different keratin-composed biosorbents for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Adsorpt Sci Technol 2002; 20(4): 393–416.

27.

Balköse

Baltacioǧlu

. Adsorption of heavy metal cations from aqueous solutions by wool fibers. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 1992; 54(4): 393–397.

28.

Tan

Chia

Teo

. Uptake of metal ions by chemically treated human hair, Water Research. Water Res 1985; 19(2): 157–162.

29.

Kar

Misra

. Use of keratin fiber for separation of heavy metals from water. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 2004; 79: 1313–1319.

30.

Al-Asheh

Banat

Al-Rousan

. Beneficial reuse of chicken feathers in removal of heavy metals from wastewater. J Clean Prod 2003; 11(3): 321–326.

31.

Zhang

. Biosorption of heavy metals from aqueous solutions using keratin biomaterials. PhD dissertation, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, 2014.

32.

Schmidt

Jayasundera

. Natural fibers, plastics and composites, New York: Springer, 2004.

33.

Kim

Park

. Analysis of aging effects on chemical property of human hair by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Skin Res Technol 2013; 19(1): 325–331.

34.

Wojciechowska

Włochowicz

Wesełucha-Birczyńska

. Application of Fourier-transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy to study degradation of the wool fiber keratin. J Mol Struct 1999; 511–512: 307–318.

35.

Liu

Jia

et al.

Effect of pH on biosorption of boron onto cotton cellulose. Desalination 2007; 207(1–3): 257–267.

36.

López-Mesas

Navarrete

Carrillo

et al.

Bioseparation of Pb(II) and Cd(II) from aqueous soluiton using cork waste biomass. Modeling and optimization of the parameters of the biosorption step. Chem Eng J 2011; 174(1): 9–17.

37.

Shukla

Zhang

Dubey

et al.

The role of sawdust in the removal of unwanted materials from water. J Hazard Mater 2002; 95(1–2): 137–152.

38.

Djeribi

Hamdaoui

. Sorption of copper (II) from aqueous solutions by cedar sawdust and crushed brick. Desalination 2008; 225(1–3): 95–112.

39.

Bulut

Tez

. Removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution by sawdust adsorption. J Environ Sci 2007; 19(2): 160–166.

40.

Yuh-Shan

. Citation review of Lagergren kinetic rate equation on adsorption reactions. Scientometrics 2004; 59(1): 171–177.

41.

Sarkar

Chattoraj

. Activation parameters for kinetics of protein adsorption at silica-water interface. J Colloid Interface Sci 1993; 157(1): 219–226.

42.

McKay

. Pseudo-second order model for sorption processes. Process Biochem 1999; 34(5): 451–465.

43.

. Review of second-order models for adsorption systems. J Hazard Mater 2006; 136(3): 681–689.

44.

McKay

. Sorption of dye from aqueous solution by peat. Chem Eng J 1998; 70(2): 115–124.

45.

Reddad

Gerente

Andres

et al.

Adsorption of several metal ions onto a low-cost biosorbent: kinetic and equilibrium studies. Environ Sci Technol 2002; 36(9): 2067–2073.

46.

Kong

Yue

Sun

et al.

Adsorption of Pb (II) from aqueous solution using keratin wastehide waste: equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic modeling studies. Chem Eng J 2014; 241: 393–400.

47.

Kul

Koyuncu

. Adsorption of Pb (II) ions from aqueous solution by native and activated bentonite: kinetic, equilibrium and thermodynamic study. J Hazard Mater 2010; 179: 332–339.

48.

Mishra

Patel

. Removal of lead and zinc ions from water by low cost adsorbents. J Hazard Mater 2009; 168: 319–325.

49.

Jalali

Ghafourian

Asef

et al.

Removal and recovery of lead using nonliving biomass of marine algae. J Hazard Mater 2002; 92(3): 253–262.