CHITOSAN FROM BLUE CRAB SHELL REDUCES SEVERAL HEAVY METAL IN POLLUTED WATER

Betutu Senggagau* and Manja Meyky Bond
 
Senior Engineer
Fish Disease and Environment Investigation Center
Serang, Banten 42167
Indonesia
bsenggagau@yahoo.com

Heavy metals contaminations in aquaculture are big problems for human, aquatic animal and environmental. Several heavy metals such as copper, lead, and cadmium were a lot found in polluted water. Amount of this compounds are mostly above the maximum limit. In order to treat heavy metal contamination in polluted water, there are many methods such as photo-reduction, ion-exchange, sedimentation, and electrolysis to solve these problems. But some of methods are more expensive and need a lot of energy. Adsorption is an alternative method to reduce heavy metal contamination in polluted water that relatively easy and safe for environment. One of the adsorbent from blue crab shell called chitosan could adsorb dissolved heavy metal ions. This material is easy to found in market and not expensive. In order to chemical reactivity and emulsifier characteristics, chitosan could be used in any industry application such as addition materials for cosmetics, food, and waste water treatment. Utilization of chitosan from blue crab shell as adsorbent is very simple application in polluted water. This study aims to observe the heavy metal adsorption by chitosan.

Materials in this study used chitosan in powder form, 1000 mg/l standards solution of copper, lead and cadmium, and free mineral distilled water. 500 ml beaker glass, magnetic stirrer, and pipette dispenser were also used. About 5 mg/l in 200 ml of copper, lead and cadmium respectively prepared as initial concentration for artificial polluted water.

As adsorbent, chitosan were added into artificial polluted water by different concentration. There were 0.1 g, 0.5 g and 1.0 g of chitosan added and stirred 100 rpm during 30 minutes. Then, filtered with filter paper and analyzed with Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) flame.

The results showed that concentration of 1.0 g chitosan powder reduced copper, lead, and cadmium about 89.10%, 96.42% and 93.44% respectively in laboratory scale. Chitosan could potentially reduce several heavy metals contaminations in polluted water.