Boron removal from aqueous solutions by polyethyleneimine-Fe3+ attached column adsorbents

Although, boron (B) is an essential micronutrient for plants, animals and human beings; at high concentration of boron in water resources may be hazardous for living being. Hence the boron concentration has to be reduced down to suggested level by the World Health Organization for safe use of water for irrigation and drinking. The present study examines boron pollution level in groundwater and suggests an alternative sorbent to remove it from water sources used for irrigation and drinking. The poly-2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)-co- glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)- polyethyleneimine (PEI)- Fe3+ columns were synthesized to adsorb the boron compounds from a real groundwater samples and synthetic solution. Boron was removed 78.2% by poly (HEMA-co-GMA)-PEI- Fe3+ column at an amount of 54.42 mg/g, pH 8. However, the lower adsorption ratio was recorded as between 35.8–58.1% of real groundwater where adsorbed amount of boron and its derivates were found as 9–28.67 mg/g due to other chemical ions in real groundwater samples. Boron-loaded columns were regenerated by 0.01 M NaOH treatment for industrial practice. Regeneration cycles were performed successfully 15-times with only a loss of 5% in adsorption capacity of columns.