Retention Properties and Mechanism of Agricultural Waste Maize Whisker on Atmospheric Mercury

Overview

Journal Bioresour Bioprocess

Specialty Biochemistry

Date 2024 Apr 22

PMID 38647626

Authors

Guiling Zheng

Qianxiu Chen

Feng Zhou

Peng Li

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant transmitted mainly through the atmosphere, posing a serious threat to biological survival and human health. Porous materials, with high specific surface area, high porosity, and high adsorption, are particularly suitable for the purification of atmospheric Hg mixtures. However, plant porous materials are rarely directly used for atmospheric Hg purification. In this study, the properties and mechanism of maize whisker in removing atmospheric Hg were analyzed. The results show that the Hg content in the whiskers increases significantly as the initial Hg concentration increases, and 79.38% Hg can be removed by 0.2 g maize whiskers after 1 h exposure when the initial Hg concentration is 0.1 μg m, indicating that maize whiskers can accumulate atmospheric Hg rapidly and effectively. The hole diameter of the maize whisker is between 0.83 and 3.06 μm, which is suitable for the adsorption of small substances. Correlation analysis shows that maize whiskers have a significant correlation between atmospheric Hg retention and its specific surface area, pore size, medium pore ratio, and micropore ratio, suggesting that the maize whisker hole feature has a significant influence on its ability to retain atmospheric Hg. Compared with the energy profiles before and after Hg treatment, the peak of Mg decreased after Hg adsorption. Fourier infrared spectrometer analysis suggests that functional groups such as -OH, -COOH, and -O- are involved in the adsorption process. The change in pH value shows an obvious effect on the overall change in zeta potential in the adsorption process. Therefore, a variety of mechanisms, including physical adsorption, electrostatic adsorption, complexation, chelation, and ion exchange, are involved in Hg retention with the maize whisker. This study reveals the important potential value of agricultural waste maize whiskers in the purification of atmospheric heavy metal Hg.

References

Tsui M, Blum J, Kwon S . Review of stable mercury isotopes in ecology and biogeochemistry. Sci Total Environ. 2019; 716:135386. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135386. View

Wegst U, Bai H, Saiz E, Tomsia A, Ritchie R . Bioinspired structural materials. Nat Mater. 2014; 14(1):23-36. DOI: 10.1038/nmat4089. View

Davis T, Llanes F, Volesky B, Mucci A . Metal selectivity of Sargassum spp. and their alginates in relation to their alpha-L-guluronic acid content and conformation. Environ Sci Technol. 2003; 37(2):261-7. DOI: 10.1021/es025781d. View

Wan Ngah W, Hanafiah M . Removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater by chemically modified plant wastes as adsorbents: a review. Bioresour Technol. 2007; 99(10):3935-48. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2007.06.011. View

Chai Y, Bai M, Chen A, Peng L, Shao J, Shang C . Thermochemical conversion of heavy metal contaminated biomass: Fate of the metals and their impact on products. Sci Total Environ. 2022; 822:153426. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153426. View

Meng B, Li Y, Cui W, Jiang P, Liu G, Wang Y . Tracing the Uptake, Transport, and Fate of Mercury in Sawgrass ( Cladium jamaicense) in the Florida Everglades Using a Multi-isotope Technique. Environ Sci Technol. 2018; 52(6):3384-3391. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b04150. View

Fang L, Li L, Qu Z, Xu H, Xu J, Yan N . A novel method for the sequential removal and separation of multiple heavy metals from wastewater. J Hazard Mater. 2017; 342:617-624. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2017.08.072. View

Natasha , Shahid M, Khalid S, Bibi I, Bundschuh J, Niazi N . A critical review of mercury speciation, bioavailability, toxicity and detoxification in soil-plant environment: Ecotoxicology and health risk assessment. Sci Total Environ. 2020; 711:134749. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134749. View

Zhou J, Obrist D . Global Mercury Assimilation by Vegetation. Environ Sci Technol. 2021; 55(20):14245-14257. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03530. View

10.

Hasanudin K, Hashim P, Mustafa S . Corn silk (Stigma maydis) in healthcare: a phytochemical and pharmacological review. Molecules. 2012; 17(8):9697-715. PMC: 6268265. DOI: 10.3390/molecules17089697. View

11.

Bondada B, Tu S, Ma L . Absorption of foliar-applied arsenic by the arsenic hyperaccumulating fern (Pteris vittata L.). Sci Total Environ. 2004; 332(1-3):61-70. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2004.05.001. View

12.

Lakshmi S, Baker S, Shivamallu C, Prasad A, Syed A, Veerapur R . Biosorption of oxybenzene using biosorbent prepared by raw wastes of and comparative study by using commercially available activated carbon. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2021; 28(6):3469-3476. PMC: 8176127. DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.03.012. View

13.

Fomina M, Gadd G . Biosorption: current perspectives on concept, definition and application. Bioresour Technol. 2014; 160:3-14. DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.12.102. View

14.

Obrist D, Agnan Y, Jiskra M, Olson C, Colegrove D, Hueber J . Tundra uptake of atmospheric elemental mercury drives Arctic mercury pollution. Nature. 2017; 547(7662):201-204. DOI: 10.1038/nature22997. View

15.

Pavithra K, SundarRajan P, Kumar P, Rangasamy G . Mercury sources, contaminations, mercury cycle, detection and treatment techniques: A review. Chemosphere. 2022; 312(Pt 1):137314. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137314. View