Preparation and application of a tyre-based activated carbon solid phase extraction of heavy metals in wastewater samples

Publication date: Available online 9 February 2018 Source:Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C Author(s): K. Mogolodi Dimpe, J.C. Ngila, P.N. Nomngongo In this paper, the tyre-based activated carbon solid phase extraction (SPE) method was successfully developed for simultaneous preconcentration of metal ions in the model and real water samples before their determination using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The activation of carbon was achieved by chemical activation and the tyre-based activated carbon was used as a sorbent for solid phase extraction. The prepared activated carbon was characterized using the scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. Moreover, optimization of the proposed method was performed by the two-level full factorial design (FFD). The FFD was chosen in order to fully investigate the effect of the experimental variables (pH, eluent concentration and sample flow rate) that significantly influence the preconcentration procedure. In this model, individual factors are considered along with their interactions. In addition, modelling of the experiments allowed simultaneous variation of all experimental factors investigated, reduced the required time and number of experimental runs which consequently led to the reduction of the overall required costs. Under optimized conditions, the limits of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ) ranged 0.66–2.12 μg L−1...
Source: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts ABC - Category: Science Source Type: research