Chitosan for wastewater treatment

Abstract Chitosan (an amino‐polysaccharide obtained from deacetylation of chitin, the major constituent of crustaceous shells and insect cuticles) presents a cationic character in acidic media allowing its dissolution, its shaping and possible ion‐exchange interactions with anionic compounds (a property applied in adsorption and coagulation–flocculation processes). In neutral media, non‐protonated amino groups allow complexation of metal cations or organic chemicals. These different properties explain the interest taken by the scientific community in using this biopolymer. In solution it contributes to complex metals and their recovery by complexation‐assisted ultrafiltration. It can also be used to coagulate–flocculate organic compounds (as anionic dyes). In the solid state, it can be used for metal ion adsorption, as well as adsorption of organic compounds (dyes, pesticides, drugs, endocrine disruptors, etc.). The adsorption and coagulation–flocculation processes will be compared and examples considered. Moreover, it is noteworthy that the thermal degradation of this type of material is also more environmentally friendly than that of conventional synthetic resins (production of hazardous by‐products, etc.), a supplementary advantage of these biopolymer‐based sorbents. Combined with its ability to be chemically or physically modified improving the potential and phase separation of chitosan‐based materials, all these properties mean it is an excellent candidate for wastewater treatment. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry