Mechanisms and optimization for simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V) from aqueous solutions using birnessite and fulvic acid composite

Abstract Cadmium (Cd) and antimony (Sb) coexistence in industrial effluents poses significant threats to environmental safety and human health. Consequently, developing effective methods for the simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V) from aqueous solutions is critically important. In this study, t...

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Main Authors: Changsheng Jin, Jingjing Lu, Yin Gao, Baowei Hu, Yuxi Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-06-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04527-x
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author Changsheng Jin
Jingjing Lu
Yin Gao
Baowei Hu
Yuxi Liu
author_facet Changsheng Jin
Jingjing Lu
Yin Gao
Baowei Hu
Yuxi Liu
author_sort Changsheng Jin
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Cadmium (Cd) and antimony (Sb) coexistence in industrial effluents poses significant threats to environmental safety and human health. Consequently, developing effective methods for the simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V) from aqueous solutions is critically important. In this study, the adsorption performance of a birnessite (BS) and fulvic acid (FA) composite (BS-FA) for the simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V) was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) in combination with machine learning (ML) techniques, including the genetic algorithm-back propagation neural network (GABP) and random forest (RF) models. The RF model demonstrated superior predictive accuracy (R² = 0.8037, RMSE = 0.0625) compared to the RSM and GABP models. Under the optimized conditions (pH = 6, adsorbent dosage = 0.87 g L− 1, adsorption time = 4 h, ionic strength = 0.01 mol L⁻¹, initial concentration = 25.5 mg L⁻¹), the removal efficiencies of Cd(II) and Sb(V) were 96.9% and 70.2%, respectively. Microscopic and mechanistic analyses revealed that Cd(II) and Sb(V) interacted with the Mn–O bonds in BS and the oxygen-containing functional groups (C–OH and –COOH) in FA, forming stable complexes within the Cd-Sb coexistence system. This study successfully integrates ML models and RSM to optimize and predict the adsorption process, offering valuable insights for mitigating the environmental and health risks associated with Cd and Sb contamination in water treatment.
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spelling doaj-art-59bb77b081644f8f97ebe7d064b4164b2025-08-20T02:30:41ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-06-0115111010.1038/s41598-025-04527-xMechanisms and optimization for simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V) from aqueous solutions using birnessite and fulvic acid compositeChangsheng Jin0Jingjing Lu1Yin Gao2Baowei Hu3Yuxi Liu4School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Shaoxing UniversitySchool of Life and Environmental Sciences, Shaoxing UniversitySchool of Life and Environmental Sciences, Shaoxing UniversitySchool of Life and Environmental Sciences, Shaoxing UniversitySchool of Business, Shaoxing UniversityAbstract Cadmium (Cd) and antimony (Sb) coexistence in industrial effluents poses significant threats to environmental safety and human health. Consequently, developing effective methods for the simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V) from aqueous solutions is critically important. In this study, the adsorption performance of a birnessite (BS) and fulvic acid (FA) composite (BS-FA) for the simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V) was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) in combination with machine learning (ML) techniques, including the genetic algorithm-back propagation neural network (GABP) and random forest (RF) models. The RF model demonstrated superior predictive accuracy (R² = 0.8037, RMSE = 0.0625) compared to the RSM and GABP models. Under the optimized conditions (pH = 6, adsorbent dosage = 0.87 g L− 1, adsorption time = 4 h, ionic strength = 0.01 mol L⁻¹, initial concentration = 25.5 mg L⁻¹), the removal efficiencies of Cd(II) and Sb(V) were 96.9% and 70.2%, respectively. Microscopic and mechanistic analyses revealed that Cd(II) and Sb(V) interacted with the Mn–O bonds in BS and the oxygen-containing functional groups (C–OH and –COOH) in FA, forming stable complexes within the Cd-Sb coexistence system. This study successfully integrates ML models and RSM to optimize and predict the adsorption process, offering valuable insights for mitigating the environmental and health risks associated with Cd and Sb contamination in water treatment.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04527-xCadmiumAntimonySimultaneous removalRSMMachine learningOptimization
spellingShingle Changsheng Jin
Jingjing Lu
Yin Gao
Baowei Hu
Yuxi Liu
Mechanisms and optimization for simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V) from aqueous solutions using birnessite and fulvic acid composite
Scientific Reports
Cadmium
Antimony
Simultaneous removal
RSM
Machine learning
Optimization
title Mechanisms and optimization for simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V) from aqueous solutions using birnessite and fulvic acid composite
title_full Mechanisms and optimization for simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V) from aqueous solutions using birnessite and fulvic acid composite
title_fullStr Mechanisms and optimization for simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V) from aqueous solutions using birnessite and fulvic acid composite
title_full_unstemmed Mechanisms and optimization for simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V) from aqueous solutions using birnessite and fulvic acid composite
title_short Mechanisms and optimization for simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and Sb(V) from aqueous solutions using birnessite and fulvic acid composite
title_sort mechanisms and optimization for simultaneous removal of cd ii and sb v from aqueous solutions using birnessite and fulvic acid composite
topic Cadmium
Antimony
Simultaneous removal
RSM
Machine learning
Optimization
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04527-x
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