Removal of heavy metals from water using hybrid membranes of whey protein fibrils and activated carbon

Abstract

Water contamination with heavy metals such as mercury (Hg) and chromium (Cr), have a massive effect in the ecosystem due to the bioaccumulation and biomagnification that is produced in the organisms and the food chain. Consequently, several health and environmental problems are related to heavy metal pollution. Researchers have focused on adsorption to remove heavy metals from wastewater owing to its efficient highperformance and relatively low cost. A promising technology is the use of hybrid membranes produced by protein nanofibers combined with high surface area materials to remove heavy metals from water. Consequently, the aim of this study was to determine mercury and chromium removal of hybrid membranes mainly produced by whey protein using heat treatment and electrospinning methods. To develop the hybrid membranes, whey protein nanofibers (WPF) were obtained using a response surface methodology denaturing whey protein isolated (WPI) by heat treatment method or by using 2-Mercaptoethanol in the electrospinning process. The hybrid membranes were synthetized based on a simple process to functionalize activated carbon (AC) and polycaprolactone (PCL) with WPF obtaining a hybrid membrane of WPF-AC and another of WPI-PCL. The membranes were characterized by SEM, AFM, FT-IR, Red Congo, Contact Angle and TGA depending on the requirements of each membrane.