Characterization of cadmium adsorption in hydrogels

Environmental contamination by cadmium is a major environmental problem due to its persistence, non biodegradability and high bioaccumulation capacity. Among the technologies that can be highlighted for the treatment of water and effluents contaminated by toxic metals are those involving adsorption phenomena. One of the main advantages of adsorption is the possibility of using various adsorbent materials such as mineral, organic and biological origin, and polymeric materials. The aim of this work was to evaluate the possible mechanisms of interaction between metal and adsorbent. The adsorption tests were done with hydrogels based on poly (acrylic acid) and chitosan/poly (acrylic acid) base for the adsorption and removal of cadmium. The characterization of the adsorbent was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled to X-ray dispersive energy (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). (author)