Water treatment with chitosan: interests and methods

Overview

ABSTRACT

The chemical products used in physico-chemical and biological processes to treat waste waters raise environmental and health issues. The chitosan, a biopolymer which is considered as an eco-friendly and efficient alternative of biological origin is the subject of this article. The chitosan has become an actor in water treatment. Its use in coagulation/flocculation, adsorption and chitosan-assisted ultrafiltration processes is given. The contaminants-chitosan interaction mechanisms are then presented and the article concludes with the main issues and prospects of this material.

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AUTHORS

Grégorio CRINI: Engineer, qualified to direct research - UMR 6249 Chrono-environnement, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
Pierre-Marie BADOT: University Professor - UMR 6249 Chrono-environnement, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
Nadia MORIN-CRINI: Research engineer, qualified to direct research - UMR 6249 Chrono-environnement, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, Besançon, France - Editor's note: This article is the updated version of article [RE 126] entitled "Water treatment with chitosan: interests, methods and prospects" written by Grégorio CRINI, Pierre-Marie BADOT, Nadia MORIN-CRINI and published in 2009.

INTRODUCTION

Physico-chemical and biological wastewater treatment processes using conventional chemicals such as aluminum- or iron-based metal formulations and acrylamide-based organic polymers are certainly effective and economically viable, but they pose serious environmental and health problems. At a time when public demand for renewable, biodegradable and impact-free products is growing along with environmental awareness, biobased materials such as chitosan are emerging as innovative alternative solutions. This aminopolysaccharide has great potential in water treatment due to its biological nature, its origin (obtained mainly from waste from the fishing industry), its non-toxicity, its polycationic character, which distinguishes it from other polysaccharides and natural polymers, and its technological versatility. Indeed, this biopolymer has been attracting growing interest since the 2000s for recovering and removing contaminants from industrial effluents, due to its wide range of applications. This article reviews the use of chitosan in adsorption, coagulation/flocculation and membrane ultrafiltration processes.

Key points

Field: Wastewater treatment and engineering

Degree of technology diffusion: Emergence

Technologies involved: filtration, adsorption, ion exchange

Applications: industrial water, paper water, sewage plant water

Main French players :