Rapid and effective removal of As(III) and As(V) using spore@Ti4+ microspheres.

Removing arsenic from aquatic environments has become an urgent problem worldwide. In this study, Ti4+- loaded bacterial spore were adopted as a novel adsorbent (spore@Ti4+ microspheres) for the adsorption efficient removal of arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)). The developed adsorbents were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results indicated that the adsorption kinetics was well described by a pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the adsorption process rapidly achieved equilibrium within 15 min at pH 7.0. The adsorption mechanism was also investigated. The maximum adsorption capacities for As(III) and As(V) were 97.26 mg g-1 and 137.01 mg g-1, respectively, based on the isothermal studies. These properties suggest that spore@Ti4+ microspheres can be potentially applied in water treatment.