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. 2025 Jul;32(33):19929-19944.
doi: 10.1007/s11356-025-36829-y. Epub 2025 Aug 11.

Recyclable hydrogel beads from sodium alginate@cellulose/GO for aqueous solution purification from heavy metals

Rabab A Nasr  1 , Tarek S Jamil  2 , Shimaa M Abdel Moniem  2 , Sawsan Dacrory  3
Affiliations

Recyclable hydrogel beads from sodium alginate@cellulose/GO for aqueous solution purification from heavy metals

Rabab A Nasr et al. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2025 Jul.

Abstract

An improved adsorption capacity was achieved in a new composites of recyclable adsorbents made of cellulose, alginate, and graphene oxide (SA/Cell./GO). To purify water systems of heavy metals, sustainable materials such as pulp fiber and cellulosic biomass cellulose, and cost-effective polymers alginate and graphene oxide with a high adsorption capability, were utilized. The as-synthesized hydrogel beads were characterized using HRSEM, EDX, XRD, and FTIR-ATR techniques. Batch adsorption experiments of lead and cadmium in water were used to assess the adsorption properties of SA/Cell./GO hydrogel beads. This study looked at how different factors such initial metal concentration, pH, temperature, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and adsorption dosage affected metals adsorption. At a pH of 5.5 and an adsorbent dosage of 0.6 g/L, the results reveal that the removal effectiveness of cadmium ions reached 99.5% after 60 min, while the removal efficiency of lead ions reached 100% after 40 min. An adsorption mechanism and kinetics model based on pseudo-first-order kinetics was the most fitted. Results from equilibrium adsorption experiments were consistent with the Freundlich adsorption isotherm. Pre- and post-adsorption HRSEM, EDX, XRD, and FTIR-ATR analyses verified that SA/Cell./GO was highly effective for adsorbing Cd and Pb metals, simultaneously.

Keywords: Adsorption heavy metals; Alginate; Cellulose; Graphene oxide; Hydrogel beads; Wastewater treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval: This is not applicable. Consent to publish: This is not applicable. Consent to participate: This is not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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