UPTAKE OF PB2+ AND CU2+ BY NOVEL BIOPOLYMERS

A series of different functionalized biopolymers were prepared and their comparative efficiencies for removing lead (II) and copper (II) ions from water at part per million concentrations determined. The biopolymers evaluated included cellulose, alginic acid, chitin, chitosan and carrageenan. Besides the base bipolymers, the carboxymethyl and hydroxamic acid derivatives of these materials were prepared and tested as well. Terephthalic acid and its hydroxamic acid derivative and a state of the art ion exchange resin, Chelex 20TM (Bio-Rad), were also tested as controls. It was found that, generally, the hydroxamic acid derivatives were the most efficient at removing both metals at a number of different starting ion concentrations although no one material was found to be the best under all experimental circumstances.