This study utilized
a 1% chitosan solution (dissolved
in 2% acetic
acid), with a chitosan-to-zeolite mass ratio of 0.005, to successfully
prepare chitosan-loaded natural zeolite. The performance of chitosan-modified
natural zeolite in the removal of low-concentration cadmium ions in
the presence of micropollutants was investigated. The adsorbent was
characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared
(FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy-dispersive spectroscopy
(EDS) techniques. The impact of modified adsorbent dosage, pH value,
contact time, temperature, and initial concentration on adsorption
performance was discussed. Additionally, the adsorption kinetics,
isotherms, and thermodynamics of cadmium on chitosan-modified zeolites
were analyzed. The results indicated that the modified zeolite exhibited
a dispersed and porous structure with increased surface area, average
pore size, and total pore volume. Under the conditions of 25 °C,
pH 6, a dosage of 8 g/L, and a 60 min adsorption reaction time, chitosan-loaded
natural zeolite (CNZ) achieved a removal efficiency of over 94.51%
for a 100 μg/L cadmium solution (in a 100 mL volume). The adsorption
process followed the Langmuir model, suggesting monolayer adsorption.
The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order equation, indicating
an exothermic process with an increase in entropy. Chitosan-loaded
natural zeolite demonstrated improved adsorption capacity and effectively
removed cadmium from water contaminated with micropollutants.