Thin Alginate Membranes Functionalized with Humic Acids for Removing Traces of Cu(II) from Contaminated Seawater.

Humic acid (HA) could become a useful agent for removing trace amounts of Cu(II) from contaminated seawater. This study reports on the use of a thin alginate membrane (TAM) containing immobilized HA as a Cu(II) binding agent for this purpose. The removal efficiency of Cu(II) by a TAM functionalized with HA was significantly increased compared to TAM alone. In this removal method, HA extracted from hardwood bark compost was more effective in removing Cu(II) than that from peat soil.