Adsorptive Removal of Lead from Water Using a Novel Cysteine-Bentonite/Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Alginate Nanocomposite

Adsorptive removal of toxic metals from water using materials with high removal capability and sufficient environmental degradability is of great importance. In this study, a novel nanocomposite adsorbent was synthesized by reinforcing poly(vinyl alcohol)/alginate (PVA/Alg) hydrogel using cysteine-modified bentonite (Cys-BNT). The synthesized composite was characterized using XRD, FTIR, and TEM techniques and subsequently used to remove Pb from aqueous solutions. The factors that affect the Pb adsorption of the composite, including solution pH, Pb concentration, and time were also evaluated. The XRD and TEM results revealed the coexistence of exfoliated and intercalated BNT layers in the polymer matrix. The Pb removal was pH-dependent with the highest Pb removal efficiency at pH 5.0. The incorporation of Cys-BNT significantly ( P