Functionalized activated carbon with whey protein amyloid fibrils for adsorption of arsenic from water

Globally, more than 200 million people are exposed to elevated concentrations of arsenic in groundwater, thus representing an important environmental and public health problem. Apart from inorganic species, water quality suffers also from the occurrence of organic pollutants discharged by the food sector like whey, a by-product of the dairy industry. The valorisation of these organic residues is relevant to reduce water pollution and to develop new materials for different applications. This research reports the synthesis and evaluation of a novel adsorptive activated carbon composite modified with whey protein amyloids for arsenic removal from water. The adsorbent was characterized with FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, N₂ physisorption, pH at point of zero charge determination, and thermogravimetric analysis. Experimental adsorption kinetics and isotherms of arsenic removal were determined at optimal pH 5.0, best fitted with the PSO and Sips model, respectively. The corresponding maximum adsorption capacity for As⁵⁺ was 0.16 mmol g⁻¹ through an endothermic process. Surface complexation was the predominant phenomenon in the adsorption mechanism as the As-O bond was formed via whey's functional groups, hydroxyl, amine, and amide, with the latter having the strong affinity to arsenate as elucidated by the HSAB theory. This study highlights the potential of whey protein as a raw material to produce added-value products and its performance as a precursor of novel adsorbents for water purification, therefore minimizing their associated disposal cost and addressing relevant environmental concerns such as arsenic contamination.