Portable Filter Prototype for Hg2+ Removal with Bamboo fiber, Carbon Nanotubes and Activated Carbon

Abstract

The uncontrolled use and dumping of mercury waste (Hg2+), a highly toxic metal ion, generated by industrial processes, mining, among others, have contaminated both surface and subway water sources, becoming a risk to human health due to the need for direct consumption of water from these sources, in addition to the damage caused to the general population,  particularly the Army soldiers who perform activities in these areas. The purpose of this research is to design a prototype of a portable filter adaptable to the canteens of the Colombian National Army, which allows an efficient removal of mercury ions in aqueous solutions, for which adsorption isotherms in liquid phase will be used as a methodological resource of analysis. The result obtained is an adsorbent that combines the functional characteristics of three materials (the structure and flexibility of bamboo fibers, the micro porosity of carbon nanotubes and the porosity of activated carbon), mechanically mixed in a 1:7:2 mass ratio (FB, CA, CNT); with which, at 16.0 °C, at a pressure of 0.747 bar and a contact time of 60 minutes, an adsorption capacity of 35 mmol g-1 was observed against a synthetic Hg2+ solution.