Arsenic Removal by the Micellar-Enhanced Ultrafiltration Using Response Surface Methodology

Abstract

The present research investigates the removal of arsenic (As) from aqueous solutions using micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) by utilizing two different surfactants: benzethonium chloride and dodecyl pyridinium chloride (BCl and DPCl). The impact of the operating variables and maximum removal efficiency were found under different conditions for BCl and DPCl surfactants. The maximum As rejection efficiency for MEUF with BCl and DPCl surfactants is 92.8% and 84.1%, respectively. In addition to this, a statistics-based experimental design with response surface methodology was used for the purpose of examining the impact of operating conditions, including initial pH, initial As concentration (ppb), and surfactant concentration (BCl, mM) in As-removal from aqueous solutions. In the analysis of the experimental data, a second-order polynomial model that was validated by statistical analysis for the BCl surfactant was used. On the basis of the response model created, the removal of As ions was acquired at optimum operating parameters, including the initial As concentration of 150 ppb, surfactant concentration of 5 mM and pH 10 for the BCl surfactant with 92.8% As-removal efficiency.