2. Invasive species or sustainable water filters? A student-led laboratory investigation into locally sourced biomass-based adsorbents for sustainable water treatment
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Michael Berger
Abstract
Designing sustainable products requires a holistic consideration of issues at the Food-Energy-Water Nexus. One of the world’s greatest challenges is to insure clean water access for all inhabitants. Across the globe, communities often suffer from metal contamination in their water. We must develop low-cost, sustainable materials to treat this contamination, without putting undue stress on other systems. Biomass-based carbon adsorbents are often touted as one potential solution, but to be sustainable the biomass must be locally sourced, not grown on land that could be used to cultivate food, not require extensive water to grow, and not need undue amounts of energy to process. In this laboratory investigation, students were challenged to use a locally available, problematic biomass - phragmites, an invasive species in the Muddy River in Boston, Massachusetts - to develop a green adsorbent to remove metals from water. Specifically, students focused on the removal of manganese, as it is a local problem for several Massachusetts communities. Students activated the phragmites biomass using a room and low (40 °C) temperature KOH treatment, which opened the porous network of the reed to enable adsorption of Mn+2 upwards of 8 mg/g of biomass. In doing this experiment, students were exposed to the concept of adsorption, a separation process not often covered in the traditional chemistry curriculum. Students gained experience in performing adsorption isotherm experiments using atomic adsorption spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectrophotometry and learned to analyze data within adsorption isotherm models. Finally, students made connections between their laboratory data and adsorption theory, and how this data can be used to design greener materials to address environmental issues.
Abstract
Designing sustainable products requires a holistic consideration of issues at the Food-Energy-Water Nexus. One of the world’s greatest challenges is to insure clean water access for all inhabitants. Across the globe, communities often suffer from metal contamination in their water. We must develop low-cost, sustainable materials to treat this contamination, without putting undue stress on other systems. Biomass-based carbon adsorbents are often touted as one potential solution, but to be sustainable the biomass must be locally sourced, not grown on land that could be used to cultivate food, not require extensive water to grow, and not need undue amounts of energy to process. In this laboratory investigation, students were challenged to use a locally available, problematic biomass - phragmites, an invasive species in the Muddy River in Boston, Massachusetts - to develop a green adsorbent to remove metals from water. Specifically, students focused on the removal of manganese, as it is a local problem for several Massachusetts communities. Students activated the phragmites biomass using a room and low (40 °C) temperature KOH treatment, which opened the porous network of the reed to enable adsorption of Mn+2 upwards of 8 mg/g of biomass. In doing this experiment, students were exposed to the concept of adsorption, a separation process not often covered in the traditional chemistry curriculum. Students gained experience in performing adsorption isotherm experiments using atomic adsorption spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectrophotometry and learned to analyze data within adsorption isotherm models. Finally, students made connections between their laboratory data and adsorption theory, and how this data can be used to design greener materials to address environmental issues.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- About the series V
- Preface: the continuum of green chemical education VII
- Contents XIII
- List of Contributing authors XIX
- 1. Green chemistry and the grand challenges of sustainability 1
- 2. Invasive species or sustainable water filters? A student-led laboratory investigation into locally sourced biomass-based adsorbents for sustainable water treatment 13
- 3. Recent advances in the application of carbohydrates as renewable feedstocks for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing compounds 35
- 4. The environmental fate of synthetic organic chemicals 67
- 5. Synthesis of “three-legged” tri-dentate podand ligands incorporating long-chain aliphatic moieties, for water remediators, and for isolating metal ions in non-aqueous solution 97
- 6. An introductory course in green chemistry: Progress and lessons learned 105
- 7. Introduction to cheminformatics for green chemistry education 135
- 8. Green chemistry outreach 149
- 9. The development of a bioenergy-based green chemistry curriculum for high schools 171
- 10. Green chemistry in secondary school 185
- Index 197
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- About the series V
- Preface: the continuum of green chemical education VII
- Contents XIII
- List of Contributing authors XIX
- 1. Green chemistry and the grand challenges of sustainability 1
- 2. Invasive species or sustainable water filters? A student-led laboratory investigation into locally sourced biomass-based adsorbents for sustainable water treatment 13
- 3. Recent advances in the application of carbohydrates as renewable feedstocks for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing compounds 35
- 4. The environmental fate of synthetic organic chemicals 67
- 5. Synthesis of “three-legged” tri-dentate podand ligands incorporating long-chain aliphatic moieties, for water remediators, and for isolating metal ions in non-aqueous solution 97
- 6. An introductory course in green chemistry: Progress and lessons learned 105
- 7. Introduction to cheminformatics for green chemistry education 135
- 8. Green chemistry outreach 149
- 9. The development of a bioenergy-based green chemistry curriculum for high schools 171
- 10. Green chemistry in secondary school 185
- Index 197
