Arsenic removal from water of the Peruvian rivers using low cost carbon base adsorbents produced from agro industry waste

Microporous-mesoporous activated carbons or biochar were produced from sawdust from Peruvian forestry species and agro-industrial wastes as potential materials for application in water and wastewater treatment. The used sawdust samples were from Cedrelinga catenaeformis Ducke and Colicodendron scabrida and the agro-industrial wastes were cocoa pod husk, corncob, red mombin seed, internal and external part of the mango pit, and coffee husk. Hybrid materials based on activated carbons with chitosan or ZnO nanoparticles were produced in order to add an antibacterial capacity or photocatalytic properties. The impregnated samples showed adsorption capacity of Arsenic from Tumbes River water with removal capacities between 80-100% at first 5 min of experiments. Besides, the antibacterial properties against E. coli and Shigella flexneri were evident.