High methylmercury uptake by green algae in Lake Titicaca: Potential implications for remediation.

Anthropogenic pressure in the high altitude lakes such as Titicaca and Uru (Bolivia) may favor the production of methylmercury (MeHg) known to accumulate in trophic chains. Periphyton associated with emerged aquatic plants (totoras) from the lake shores accumulates and demethylates MeHg providing a potential cost-effective water treatment technique. In this laboratory study, we measured the MeHg uptake kinetics of a consortium of green algae isolated from Lake Titicaca totora's periphyton.

Adsorption of cadmium by a high-capacity adsorbent composed of silicate-titanate nanotubes embedded in hydrogel chitosan beads.

In this study, we developed a nanoparticle-based mesoporous composite that consisted of silicate-titanate nanotubes (STNTs) supported in hydrogel chitosan beads (STNTs-Ch beads) and was studied for Cd adsorption. By using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy coupled to an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer, we could determine that the hollow STNTs were highly dispersed in the walls of the hollow beads. The dispersion was attributed to the effect of pH when the composite was prepared and we observed a non-interaction between STNTs and chitosan.

Arsenic adsorption by iron-aluminium hydroxide coated onto macroporous supports: Insights from X-ray absorption spectroscopy and comparison with granular ferric hydroxides.

This paper evaluates the arsenic adsorption characteristics of a macroporous polymer coated with coprecipitated iron-aluminium hydroxides (MHCMP). The MHCMP adsorbent-composite fits best with a pseudo-second order model for As(III) and a pseudo-first order kinetic model for As(V). The MHCMP shows a maximum adsorption capacity of 82.