Insight into the impact of environmental factors on heavy metal adsorption by sodium alginate hydrogel: Inspiration on applicable scenarios

Sodium alginate (SA) emerges as a promising adsorbent for the remediation of heavy metal-polluted wastewater. However, the systematic investigations on how and the extent to which the various compositions in real water matrices impact its performance were essential but rare when considering its use. Here, we explored the effect of common environmental factors on Cu(II) adsorption by an as-synthesized SA-based hydrogel (SAH). The result showed that high concentration of organics (above 10 mg L−1) had a negative influence on heavy metal removal (decreased by 9.45 % at least), while inorganic ion, turbidity and antibiotics at relatively low concentrations exhibited a negligible even promoting effect (increased by 9.8 % with the presence of 5 mg L−1 Nor). Based on above results and corresponding mechanism analyses, the possible applicable and unsuitable scenarios of SAH can be predicted. SAH could be a great candidate for treating heavy metal-polluted water such as river and lake water, while it is not a good option for electroplating or livestock wastewater which contains high concentration of organic matters. Besides, the operating conditions including pH (5.0 for Cu(II), 6.0 for Ni(II)), contact time (24 h), temperature (298 K) et al. were also determined. Overall, this work provides theoretical guidance and operational strategies for promoting the practical application of SA adsorbent in water treatment. [Display omitted] •SAH demonstrates favorable feasibility in technology, economic and environment.•The operational parameters of heavy metals adsorption onto SAH were determined.•The influence of environmental factors and underlying mechanisms were investigated.•The possible applicable and unsuitable scenarios of SAH were predicted.