Efficiency of humic acids and peat soil in adsorption of potentially toxic metals

• Grant number: 24/05811-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Environmental Sanitation
• Principal Investigator: Valéria Guimarães Silvestre Rodrigues
• Grantee: Diogo Perez Monteiro Claro
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

During the evolution of several technologies and development of society, especially after the industrial revolution, humanity began to overly degrade many natural environments, as a result of industrial activities and population's high growth. Although, some of the most disturbing impacts noted are those regarding the contamination of natural resources, such as soil, water and air, by chemical compounds coming from anthropogenic activities, which frequently presents risks to humans and other organisms. On top of that, potentially toxic metals (PTM), like Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd) and Zinc (Zn), stand out for their capacity to contaminate soil and water resources, in addition to their high degree of toxicity. In light of this, it has become very important to study low-cost techniques that help to retain such compounds, avoiding contaminations and facilitating the remediation of already degraded areas. Therefore, several studies have shown that compounds capable of adsorbing contaminants are extremely valuable to achieve this objective, peats for example are a natural soil rich in organic matter that can successfully adsorbs trace elements, in order of the organic acids present in it. This search aims to study the capacity of humic substances (fulvic and humic acids), found in brazilian peat, to adsorb potentially toxic metals when isolated, and consequently be used as an alternative in environmental protection.