Removal of 2,4-D from aqueous solutions by adsorption processes, using biopolymer, chitin and chitosan

Chitin, extracted primarily from exoskeleton shellfish, is one of the most abundant biopolymer in the world. It is estimated to be produced annually almost as much as cellulose. The development of fishing activities in Morocco (coastline of 3500 km on both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean) induced an important fish industry waste. The aim of this work is to recover chitin, extracted from shellfish waste, and chitosan, produced by deacetylation of chitin, in the adsorption of organic pesticide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate (2,4-D). The chitosan samples were prepared from α-chitin from crustacean shells and β-chitin from squid pens. The chitin deacetylation was carried out according to two methods using, respectively, as alkaline agent, the aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and anhydrous potassium hydroxide. The role of the source and of the process on the N-deacetylation reactions is confirmed. Characterization of chitin and chitosan was performed by infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. The adsorption of 2,4-D by chitin and chitosan was performed at different pH values, the pesticide-adsorbent contact time and initial pesticide concentration. The adsorption is described by Langmuir-type isotherm and Freundlich-type isotherm. Recovery tests of 2,4-D confirm the initial interest in using chitin and chitosan as a depolluting agent.