Equilibrium isotherms and the adsorption kinetics of heavy metals onto chitosan were
studied experimentally. Chitosan, a biopolymer produced from crustacean shells, has
applications in various areas, particularly in drinking water and wastewater treatment
due to its ability to remove metallic ions from solutions. The adsorption capacity of
chitosan depends on a number of parameters: deacetylation degree, molecular weight,
particle size and crystallinity. The purpose of this work was to study the adsorption of
copper, zinc, mercury, and arsenic on chitosan produced from shrimp shells at a
laboratory level.