Acrylic acid-chitosan blend hydrogel: a novel polymer adsorbent for adsorption of lead(II) and copper(II) ions from wastewater

Abstract Environmental pollution due to heavy metal contamination is a major environmental concern. A fully biodegradable and reusable adsorbent hydrogel for removal of heavy metal ions has been developed. The hydrogel was prepared from acrylic acid and chitosan using an irradiation method. The adsorbent was characterized using Fourier transform infrared analysis. Uptake of copper(II) and lead(II) at different contact times, pH, and metal ion concentrations was investigated by a batch method using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Kinetic adsorption data were studied using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order equations. Experimental metal adsorption data were fitted with the Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity of the hydrogel was found to be 192 and 171 mg/g for lead(II) and copper(II), respectively, from the Langmuir isotherm…