Crustacean Waste Shells as Adsorption Materials for Heavy Metals in an Aqueous Solution

Abstract

Laguna de Bay is one of the country’s major lakes, providing a third of the fish consumed by Metro Manila’s 16 million residents. It also provides support for agriculture, industry, and hydropower generation, as well as providing a welcome respite for many Filipinos. However, because of the lake’s importance, it is threatened by a variety of issues, including pollution. Heavy metals such as mercury and lead are present in high concentrations in the lake. And these heavy metals may persist in fish, water, air and the human body. As a result, an adsorption technique for heavy metal removal in an aqueous solution was investigated. As an adsorbent, the produced chitosan from crustacean waste shells was employed. The study’s parameters were contact time, adsorbent quantity, and pH. Results showed that 0.5 g of chitosan has a higher absorption rate of 99% in 500 mg/L solutions compared to 1.0 g of chitosan with an adsorption rate of 98%. In terms of contact time, 60 minutes showed almost 100% adsorption rate while 120 minutes was 98%. With increasing pH, the amount of metal adsorption rises. This developed chitosan from crustacean waste shells indicates high capacity as adsorbent materials for heavy metals. As a result, it appears to be a viable material for water treatment.