<br/>Chitin is a biopolymer found in the exoskeletons of arthropods (lobster, shrimp, insects…) and some fungi (mushrooms). These exoskeletons are composed of chitin, along with other organic materials and metals such as calcium. The high propensity of chitin to bond to metals makes it an excellent candidate for use as a water purification system. Since lobster and shrimp are in high demand commercially, we used cicada exuviae as the source for our chitin. Chitin was extracted from cicada sloughs with varying degrees of acetylation. As the percent of deacetylation increases, so does the solubility of the product which is why chitosan is more able to form films than is chitin. However, the product becomes less able to form hydrogen bonds leading us to hypothesize that as the percent of the degree of acetylation decreases, so does lead uptake.<br/>

Heavy metal water filtration by chitin with varying degrees of acetylation

2019 Spring National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.