*WINNER* Water Remediation Utilizing ISA, TSC, and SC

Abstract

Water contaminants have steadily increased as a health and environmental hazard. In 2021, the EPA has regulated over 90 water pollutants under the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR). For the purposes of this project, heavy metal ions will be studied. According to the EPA, some of these ions have contributed to increased risk of cancer, liver and kidney damage, allergic dermatitis, and more. This project focuses on the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous sources using Isatin sulfonic acid (ISA) thiosemicarbazones (TSC) and semicarbazone (SC) chelating resins that are immobilized onto resin beads via anion exchange. These chelating resins are stirred in solutions at environmentally relevant pH values containing selected metal ions. The metal concentrations prior to contact with the resin and after contact are used to calculate a dry weight distribution value (Dw) to determine the effectiveness of removal by the resin of choice. It is anticipated that these resins will be successful at removing the metal ions of interest and hold the potential to become a contributing step to healing the environmental world.