Enhanced adsorption of arsenate on titanium dioxide using Ca and Mg ions

In this study, we report the effects of pH and divalent cations on the adsorption of arsenate (As(V)) by titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. The extent of As(V) adsorption on TiO2 decreased with increasing pH due to the decrease of positively charged binding sites on the TiO2 surface. The Langmuir maximum uptake capacity at pH 4 is about three times higher than that at pH 7. Here we show that the relatively low As(V) uptake at circumneutral pH could be substantially enhanced by the addition of common divalent cations such as magnesium and calcium. At a concentration of approximately 7 mM, magnesium and calcium increased the extent of As(V) adsorption from 2.1 to 6.5 and 7.7 mg As(V)/g TiO2, respectively.