Biosorption of Formic Acid by Carrot Residues: Experimental Study and Statistical Modeling Using the Response Surface Method
Subject Areas : Utilization of unconventional water resources
1 - Associate professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran.
Keywords: Adsorption, Formic acid, carrot residues, Response surface,
Abstract :
Background and Aim: Fatty acids play a fundamental role in nature, biochemistry, and industry, but they are also among the most significant environmental pollutants. Their presence in water endangers the lives of animals, plants, and humans. Formic acid (FA), the simplest carboxylic acid, is primarily used in the textile, fabric, and leather industries. The major ill effects caused by FA are the formation of kidney stones, vomiting, and general body weakness. Recently, the biosorption of pollutants by biological materials has gained attention, particularly for water and wastewater treatment. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the potential of carrot residues as a low-cost biosorbent for FA biosorption from aqueous solutions and to investigate the effects of effective parameters on biosorption.
Method: Carrot residues were collected, washed with distilled water, dried, and ground into fine particles using an electric mill. After sieving, pigments, tannins, water-soluble substances, and sugars were removed by washing the residues first with 0.5 M hydrochloric acid, followed by distilled water until a constant pH (6.0-7.0) was achieved. Finally, it was dried in the oven. The biosorbent was characterized using infrared spectroscopy (IR) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Adsorption experiments were conducted by mixing specified amounts of biosorbent (0.5-3.0 g) with 50 mL of 0.01 M formic acid solution in a 100 mL conical flask at a range of temperatures (298-328 K) and for different periods (10-120 min). After equilibrium was reached, the biosorbent was separated, and the remaining FA concentration was determined by titration with 0.1 M NaOH. A 3-level, 3-variable Box-Behnken Design (BBD) combined with response surface methodology (RSM) was used to evaluate the effect of the selected variables on FA adsorption by biosorbent.
Results: FT-IR analysis revealed the presence of several functional groups on the adsorbent surface that facilitate chemical bonding with FA. FE-SEM images showed an uneven, irregular, and porous surface, providing ideal conditions for biosorption. In process optimization, the maximum FA biosorption efficiency and adsorption capacity, 82.15% and 7.17 mg/g, were achieved at 303.60 K, with a contact time of 115.50 minutes and a biosorbent mass of 2.50 g. Analysis of variance indicated that biosorbent mass had the most significant influence on biosorption. The quadratic model fit the experimental data well, and three-dimensional response surface plots were generated to depict the interactions between variables. According to these plots, biosorption increased as temperature decreased and biosorbent mass increased. However, further decreases in temperature did not continue to enhance biosorption. The quality of the model was assessed by comparing the experimental values of FA biosorption to those predicted by the model. Furthermore, kinetic studies showed that the adsorption of FA onto carrot residues followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model.
Conclusion: The results of this study represent that carrot residues proved to be an economical, readily available, and practical green adsorbent for FA biosorption. Given the large quantity of carrot residues produced, particularly as a by-product of carrot juice production, they offer a cost-effective and sustainable option for removing other environmental pollutants. Optimal values for the effective parameters on biosorption were determined using RSM and the BBD. The design of experiments reduced the number and arrangement of the experiments with various combinations of independent variables.
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