Adsorption of different forms of phosphorus on modified corn bracts

Abstract

Excessive phosphorus discharged into the environment could result in the eutrophication, leading to water pollution. Hence, the efficient method for phosphorus removal is urgently in need. In this paper, an agricultural by-product, corn bract, modified by Zr was proposed to remove different forms of phosphorus. A comparison study about the adsorption performance of organic phosphorus (OP) and inorganic phosphorus (IP) was investigated. The results indicated that both the OP and IP reached the maximum adsorption amounts when the initial pH was 2. Compared with IP adsorption, the adsorbent showed higher adsorption rate but lower adsorption capacity for OP. The complexation and the electrostatic attraction were possibly the main adsorption mechanisms. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The agricultural waste, corn bract, was proposed to remove phosphorus. The adsorption performances of OP and IP were compared. The adsorbent showed higher adsorption rate but lower adsorption capacity for OP.