Removal of lead(II) from water using activated carbon developed from jujube stones,a low-cost sorbent

The preparation of activated carbon from jujube stones with H₂SO₄ activation and its ability to remove lead from aqueous solutions were reported in this study. The surface structure of the activated carbon was characterized by various physico-chemical methods. Sorption studies were carried out by varying the initial metal ion and the pH: the amount of sorbed Pb(II) ions increased with increasing pH and initial Pb(II) ions concentration. The removal of lead ions was rapid and the kinetic of sorption can be well described by pseudo-second order modelling. The Langmuir model conveniently fits the data of isotherm experiments and the monolayer sorption capacity of Pb(II) ions was determined as 71.43 mg/g at pH 6.0 and 25°C. These results showed that activated carbon prepared from jujube stones could be considered for application as a potential sorbent for the removal of lead from wastewaters.     

Mercury and lead sorption properties of poly(ethyleneimine) coated onto silica gel

In this article, we studied the sorption properties of poly(ethyleneimine) coated on silica gel for metal ions with impact on the environment, such as Zn(II), Cd(II), Hg(II), and Pb(II). The experiments were carried out by batch procedure and the effects of pH, concentration, and temperature were evaluated. In addition, the selectivity was studied for binary, ternary, and quaternary metal ion mixtures. Mercury and lead showed promising results, achieving higher than 65% of sorption after only 1 h of contact. Under competitive conditions, resin presented high selectivity toward Hg(II) reaching 91 and 87% of retention respect to total amount of ions for binary and quaternary mixtures, respectively. The effect of time on Pb(II) and Hg(II) sorption was studied by batch procedure and the experimental data were adjusted to pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intra-particle diffusion models. Pseudo-second-order model presented good agreement for Pb(II) sorption, while pseudo-first-order model fits better to Hg(II) sorption. Intra-particle diffusion model showed that sorption process is controlled mainly by film diffusion.     

The interaction between Cu,Pb, Zn and Ni in their biosorption onto polyurethane‐immobilised Sphagnum moss

The uptake of Cu(II), Pb(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) was investigated both individually and from mixed metal ion solutions using Sphagnum moss biomass immobilised in a polyurethane support. The data were evaluated using the Langmuir isotherm equation, and sorption capacities were calculated for different concentration ranges. It was concluded that care must be taken in presentation and interpretation of results when this modelling approach is applied at low concentrations. Repeated metal loading cycles also gave lower values for sorption capacity compared with the maximum potential value, due to equilibrium effects. The uptake capacity for the different metals on a weight basis was in the order lead > copper > zinc > nickel, but on a molar basis this changed to copper > lead > nickel > zinc. Sorption from a multi‐component metal system showed that lead and copper competed equally for binding sites and much more effectively than zinc and nickel. Equations were derived to predict the percentage effect on a given metal ion of other metals in a multi‐metal system based their behaviour in the relevant single and binary systems. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Simultaneous preconcentration of Cd(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II) on Nano-TiO2 modified with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole prior to flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination

Nano-TiO₂ modified with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) was investigated as a new adsorbent for preconcentration of Cd(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II). The metal ions are adsorbed onto nano-TiO₂-MBT, eluted by nitric acid and determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The parameters affecting the adsorption were investigated. Under optimized conditions, the calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.2–25.0, 0.2–20.0, and 3.0–70.0 ng mL⁻¹ for cadmium, copper and lead, respectively. The limits of detection for Cd(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II) were 0.12, 0.15 and 1.38 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. The method was applied to determination of Cd(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II) in water and ore samples.     

Batch and fixed‐bed column adsorption of Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) from aqueous solution onto functionalised SBA‐15 mesoporous silica

Functionalised SBA‐15 mesoporous silica with polyamidoamine groups (PAMAM‐SBA‐15) was successfully prepared with the structure characterised by X‐ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption–desorption, Fourier transform infrared spectra and thermogravimetric analysis. PAMAM‐SBA‐15 was applied as adsorbent for Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions removal from aqueous solution. The effects of the solution pH, adsorbent dosage and metal ion concentration were studied under the batch mode. The Langmuir model was fitted favourably to the experimental data. The maximum sorptive capacities were determined to be 1.74 mmol g^?1 for Cu(II), 1.16 mmol g^?1 for Pb(II) and 0.97 mmol g^?1 for Cd(II). The overall sorption process was fast and its kinetics was fitted well to a pseudo‐first‐order kinetic model. The mean free energy of sorption, calculated from the Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm, indicated that the sorption of lead and copper, with E > 16 kJ mol^?1, followed the sorption mechanism by particle diffusion. The adsorbent could be regenerated three times without significant varying its sorption capacity. A series of column tests were performed to determine the breakthrough curves with varying bed heights and flow rates. The breakthrough data gave a good fit to the Thomas model. Maximum sorption capacity of 1.6, 1.3 and 1.0 mmol g^?1 were found for Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II), respectively, at flow rate of 0.4 mL min^?1 and bed height of 8 cm, which corresponds to 83%, 75% and 73% of metallic ion removal, respectively, which very close to the value determined in the batch process. Bed depth service time model could describe the breakthrough data from the column experiments properly. © 2012 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering     

Metal sorption on macroporous poly(GMA-co-EGDMA) modified with ethylene diamine

Two samples of macroporous crosslinked poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate), poly(GMA-co-EGDMA), with different porosity parameters were synthesized by suspension copolymerization and modified by ring-opening reaction of the pendant epoxy groups with ethylene diamine (EDA). The samples were characterized by mercury porosimetry, FT-IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The sorption rate of the modified copolymer, poly(GMA-co-EGDMA)-en for Cu(II) ions determined under non-competitive conditions was relatively rapid, i.e. the maximum capacity was reached within 30 min. Batch sorption capacities for Cu(II), Fe(II), Mn(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), Pb(II), Cr(III) and Pt(IV) ions were determined under non-competitive conditions in the pH range 1.25–5.5 at room temperature. The maximum sorption capacities of poly(GMA-co-EGDMA)-en under non-competitive conditions were 1.30 mmol/g for Pt(IV) at pH 5.5, 1.10 mmol/g for Cu(II) at pH 5.5, 1.06 mmol/g for Pb(II) at pH 1.25 and 0.67 mmol/g for Cd(II) ions at pH 5.5. The selectivity of poly(GMA-co-EGDMA)-en towards Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Pt(IV) ions was investigated under competitive conditions. Poly(GMA-co-EGDMA)-en showed high selectivity for Pt(IV) over Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Pb(II) ions at pH 2.1. At pH 5.5, the metal sorption capacities of poly(GMA-co-EGDMA)-en decreased in the order: Cu(II) > Co(II) > Pt(IV) ≈ Ni(II) > Pb(II). Regeneration of the Cu(II), Ni(II) and Pb(II) loaded poly(GMA-co-EGDMA)-en with 2 M H₂SO₄ showed that the polymer can be reused in several sorption/desorption cycles.     

Functionalized galactoglucomannan‐based hydrogels for the removal of metal cations from aqueous solutions

New types of hydrogels derived from O‐acetyl galactoglucomannan (AcGGM) hemicellulose have been synthesized and characterized. The objective of this work was to analyze the sorption capacity (S) of three types of hydrogels containing AcGGM derivatives incorporated into the carboxylic groups of the polymer chain in the AA hydrogel, sulfonic groups in the APA hydrogel, and amide groups in the acrylamide (Aam) hydrogel. These hydrogels are capable of interacting and removing ions such as cadmium [Cd(II)], copper [Cu(II)], lead [Pb(II)], nickel [Ni(II)], and zinc [Zn(II)]. The results show that AA and Aam hydrogels had a lower sorption capacity of ions compared to the APA hydrogel, which had a high sorption capacity. The maximal sorption capacity was determined by the successive enrichment method, obtaining Pb(II) amount of 48.3 mg/g of AA hydrogel, 65.8 mg/g of APA hydrogel, and 40.8 mg/g of Aam hydrogel. Hence, Pb(II) ions are greatly retained by the three hydrogels. These results are promising for the development of new materials with potential applications in metal ion removal. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 44093.     

High surface area-activated carbon from Glycyrrhiza glabra residue by ZnCl2 activation for removal of Pb(II) and Ni(II) from water samples

A high-surface-area activated carbon was prepared by chemical activation of Glycyrrhiza glabra residue with ZnCl₂ as active agent. Then, the adsorption behavior of Pb(II) and Ni(II) ion onto produced activated carbon has been studied. The experimental data were fitted to various isotherm models. According to Langmuir model, the maximum adsorption capacity of Pb(II) and Ni(II) ions were found to be 200 and 166.7 mg g⁻¹, respectively, at room temperature. Kinetic studies showed the adsorption process followed pseudo second-order rate model. High values of intra-particle rate constants calculated shows the high tendency of activated carbon for removal of Pb(II) and Ni(II) ions.     

Preparation and characterization of magnetic polymethylmethacrylate microbeads carrying ethylene diamine for removal of Cu(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), and Hg(II) from aqueous solutions

Magnetic polymethylmethacrylate (mPMMA) microbeads carrying ethylene diamine (EDA) were prepared for the removal of heavy metal ions (i.e., copper, lead, cadmium, and mercury) from aqueous solutions containing different amount of these ions (5–700 mg/L) and at different pH values (2.0–8.0). Adsorption of heavy metal ions on the unmodified mPMMA microbeads was very low (3.6 μmol/g for Cu(II), 4.2 μmol/g for Pb(II), 4.6 μmol/g for Cd(II), and 2.9 μmol/g for Hg(II)). EDA‐incorporation significantly increased the heavy metal adsorption (201 μmol/g for Cu(II), 186 μmol/g for Pb(II), 162 μmol/g for Cd(II), and 150 μmol/g for Hg(II)). Competitive adsorption capacities (in the case of adsorption from mixture) were determined to be 79.8 μmol/g for Cu(II), 58.7 μmol/g for Pb(II), 52.4 μmol/g for Cd(II), and 45.3 μmol/g for Hg(II). The observed affinity order in adsorption was found to be Cu(II) > Pb(II) > Cd(II) > Hg(II) for both under noncompetitive and competitive conditions. The adsorption of heavy metal ions increased with increasing pH and reached a plateau value at around pH 5.0. The optimal pH range for heavy‐metal removal was shown to be from 5.0 to 8.0. Desorption of heavy‐metal ions was achieved using 0.1 M HNO₃. The maximum elution value was as high as 98%. These microbeads are suitable for repeated use for more than five adsorption‐desorption cycles without considerable loss of adsorption capacity. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 78: 81–89, 2000     

Hydrogels with Acid Groups for Removal of Copper(II) and Lead(II) Ions

Acrylamide-maleic acid (AAM-MA) hydrogels having high acid group content prepared with different maleic acid ratios were used for the removal of Cu(II) and Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions in competitive and noncompetitive conditions. The effects of pH, time, and initial metal ion concentration on the metal ion adsorption capacity were investigated. The adsorption isotherm models were applied on experimental data and it is shown that the Freundlich equation was the best model for Cu(II) ion while the Langmuir isotherm model was the best one for Pb(II) ion. The stability constants of acrylamide-maleic acid hydrogel-Cu(II) and Pb(II) complexes were also determined by van den Berg/Ruzic transformation, and K values obtained were 1.60 × 10³ and 1.81 × 10³ for Cu(II) and Pb(II) ions, respectively. The experiments under competitive conditions showed that the hydrogels prefered Pb(II) ion and this preference increased with increasing of carboxylic acid group content (AGC) of polymers. It is stated that these hydrogels can be regenerated efficiently (>95%) and used repeatedly.     

Sorption of Trace Amounts of Pb(II) Ions on an Ion Imprinted Interpenetrating Polymer Network Based on Alginic Acid and Crosslinked Polyacrylamide

The removal of Pb(II) ion from our environment especially waste water is now shifting from the use of conventional adsorbents to the use of biosorbents. The presence of heavy metals in the environment is of major concern because of their toxicity and threat to human life and the environment. A new type of Pb(II) ion imprinted alginic acid interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN) were prepared for Pb(II) ion removal by ion imprinting strategy. The Pb(II) ion imprinted alginate and N,N’-methylene-bis-acrylamide(NNMBA)-crosslinked polyacrylamide based IPN were synthesized with acrylamide in the presence of alginic acid. The influence of matrix on the sorption efficiency for Pb(II) ion and selectivity against metal ions such as Zn(II), Cu(II), and Cd(II) ions on IPN were described. The structure and morphology of Pb(II) ion imprinted IPN were followed by various analytical methods. The separation characteristics of the IPN for Pb(II) ion were investigated by batch and column procedures and analyzed by AAS. Based on the packed columns with Pb(II) ion imprinted IPN, a highly selective sorbent for Pb(II) ion from aqueous solution was developed by the imprinting approach and the developed polymer could be used for the selective sorption of trace amounts of Pb(II) ions from coexisting metal ions and from waste water.     

Binary Adsorption of a Zn(II)-Cu(II) Mixture onto Egeria densa and Eichhornia crassipes: Kinetic and Equilibrium Data Modeling by PSO

The adsorption of Zn(II) and Cu(II) ions onto two dry macrophytes used as biosorbents was investigated in batch systems. All single and binary metal sorption experiments using Egeria densa and Eicchornia crassipes biomasses as biosorbents were performed under constant shaking, at pH 5, with mixed grain size, and drying and sorption temperatures of 30°C. A 20–45 min equilibrium time range was attained with E. densa, whereas a 30–60 min equilibrium time was achieved with E. crassipes. It was also found that the overall adsorption kinetic data was best described by the pseudo second-order kinetic model, and that the intra-particle diffusion model was involved in the sorption process. An extended-to-multi-component Langmuir-type isotherm model and a parameter identification procedure based on the PSO method have been effectively used for the reproduction of the experimental data and the prediction of the maximum adsorption capacities of Zn(II) and Cu(II) ions in a binary metal ion solution. Finally, E. densa and E. crassipes biomasses exhibited opposite metal adsorption affinity order in the Zn(II)-Cu(II) binary system.     

Metal ion binding properties of poly(N-vinylimidazole) hydrogels

The ability of poly(N-vinylimidazole) hydrogels to bind Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), Hg(II), Na(I) and Ca(II) cations, as well as uranyl, vanadium, rhenium, and molybdenum complexes, was studied by a batch equilibrium procedure using atomic absorption spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The optimum pH for ion adsorption was determined in any case. The influence of the crosslinking degree of the hydrogel on the sorption kinetics and the sorption capacity at equilibrium were also studied. Sorption from the binary mixture Cu(II) + U(VI) was also analyzed at the optimum pH. Elution of the ions adsorbed from single and binary solutions was achieved in all cases. A selective desorption of loaded hydrogels with two types of ions was attained. The general conclusion is that poly(N-vinylimidazole) hydrogels are excellent materials for retention of all the ions studied here [except for Pb(II), Na(I), and Ca(II)]. The elution, which can be selective, allows regeneration of the hydrogel. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 67:1109–1118, 1998     

Studies on uptake behavior of Hg(II) and Pb(II) by amine modified glycidyl methacrylate–styrene–N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide terpolymer

The removal of mercury and lead ions from aqueous solutions investigated by ethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine and tetraethylenepentamine functionalized polymeric adsorbent. The adsorbent was prepared by amination of terpolymer synthesized from glycidylmethacrylate, styrene and N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide. In the single metal species system (only mercury or lead ions are present) poly(glycidylmethacrylate–ethylenediamine) (PGMA–EDA), poly(glycidylmethacrylate–diethylenetriamine) (PGMA–DETA), and poly(glycidylmethacrylate–tetraethylenepentamine) (PGMA–TEPA) were found to adsorb lead or mercury ions with a slightly higher adsorption uptake capacity for lead than mercury ions. Among the three functionalized polymers poly(glycidylmethacrylate–diethylenetriamine) (PGMA–DETA) shows faster and higher adsorption capacity than poly(glycidylmethacrylate–ethylenediamine) (PGMA–EDA), poly(glycidylmethacrylate–tetraethylenepentamine) (PGMA–TEPA). The natural pH of both the metal ions was found to be most suitable for uptake. The uptake of Hg(II) and Pb(II) ions was investigated by using batch technique. The maximum adsorption capacities of Pb ions were predicted to be 4.74, 4.76 and 4.73 mmol/g and the maximum Hg(II) ion uptakes were found to be 4.76, 4.80 and 4.21 mmol/g respectively for PGMA–EDA, PGMA–DETA and PGMA–TEPA resins at their natural pH. The uptakes of Hg(II) and Pb(II) ions on the resins were found to follow Langmuir adsorption isotherm and pseudosecond order kinetics.     

Water-soluble oxidized starch in complexation of Fe(III), Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) ions

The structure of the bromate-oxidized wheat starch (OS) contains partly opened glucose units with carbonyl and carboxyl groups at C2-, C3- or C6-positions. OS with a variable degree of oxidation (DO) was studied in alkaline conditions as a water-soluble complexing agent for Fe(III), Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) ions, which are common in various wastewaters. Complexation was studied by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES) in a single metal ion or multi-metal ion solutions. The DO affected the efficiency of the complexation with metal ions. OS with the high DO (carboxyl and carbonyl DO of 0.72 and 0.23, respectively) complexed and held Fe(III) or Zn(II) ions in a soluble form effectively in 0.5 mM single ion alkaline solution with the molar ratio of 0.65:1 of oxidized starch-to-metal ion (OS-to-M). The OS-to-M molar ratio of 1.3:1 was required to form a soluble complex with Cu(II) or Ni(II) ions. These complexes were thermally stable at the temperature range of 20–60 °C. OS with the low DO (carboxyl and carbonyl DO 0.47 and 0.17, respectively) complexed Zn(II) ions highly, Cu(II) and Ni(II) ions poorly and Fe(III) ions only partly. In the multi-metal ion solution of OS the solubility of these metal ions improved with the increasing DO of starch, which followed the same tendency as was observed in the single metal ion systems. The increased molar ratio of OS-to-M improved the complexation and solubility of the metal ions in all multi-metal ion series. As the soluble multi-metal ion complexes were reanalyzed after 7 days, all solutions had kept the high complexation and solubility of metal ions (ca. 90%). Complexation by OS did not show a selective binding of the ions in the multi-metal ion solution. It was concluded that the flexible, opened ring structure units of OS prevented the selective binding to metal ions but made the complexes highly stable. Titrimetric studies of OS–Fe(III) complexation showed that each anhydroglucose unit of OS had more than one coordination site and as the content of OS increased, the free sites coordinated to Fe(III) ions and formed cross-linked starch structures.     

The adsorption behavior of Cu(II), Pb(II), and Co(II) of ethylene vinyl acetate‐clinoptilolite nanocomposites

In this study, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) was mixed with clinoptilolite (C), a natural zeolite, to prepare EVA‐C nanocomposites. The films were characterized by SEM‐EDS, XRD, and FT‐IR, and heavy metal removal was studied using the batch technique. The effects of the initial pH value and concentration of solutions, contact time, and filler dosage on the adsorption capacity of the composites were investigated. To study the influence of pretreatment on the filler, clinoptilolite was activated using KCl, NaCl, and HCl. Adsorption results show that equilibrium was reached after 24 h, and that sorption reached its maximum at pH values between 5 and 7. The selectivity trend was observed to be Pb > Cu > Co, which was consistent for both single and mixed metal‐ion solutions. Pretreatment significantly increased adsorption capacity of the composite, but was dependent on the conditioning reagent. Nanocomposites filled with HCl‐activated particles demonstrated a high adsorption capacity of between 70 and 80% for all three metals, while KCl‐activated particles were the least efficient with a maximum adsorption capacity of 69% for Pb(II), 54% for Cu(II) and 48% for Co(II). The adsorption data were then fitted to both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms over the entire concentration range, and the Langmuir isotherm showed a better fit of the experimental sorption data than the Freundlich isotherm. The results obtained show that this simple methodology which can be up‐scaled has great potential for the preparation of a wide variety of similar particle‐filled adsorbent nanocomposites in other environmental remediation applications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Adsorption of heavy‐metal ions on poly(ethylene imine)‐immobilized poly(methyl methacrylate) microspheres

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microspheres carrying poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) were prepared for the removal of heavy‐metal ions (copper, cadmium, and lead) from aqueous solutions with different amounts of these ions (50–600 mg/L) and different pH values (3.0–7.0). Ester groups in the PMMA structures were converted to imine groups in a reaction with PEI as a metal‐chelating ligand in the presence of NaH. The adsorption of heavy‐metal ions on the unmodified PMMA microspheres was very low [3.6 μmol/g for Cu(II), 4.6 μmol/g for Cd(II), and 4.2 μmol/g for Pb(II)]. PEI immobilization significantly increased the heavy‐metal adsorption [0.224 mmol/g for Cu(II), 0.276 mmol/g for Cd(II), and 0.126 mmol/g for Pb(II)]. The affinity order of adsorption (in moles) was Cd(II) > Cu(II) > Pb(II). The adsorption of heavy‐metal ions increased with increasing pH and reached a plateau value around pH 5.5. Their adsorption behavior was approximately described with the Langmuir equation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 197–205, 2001     

Adsorption behavior of Cu2+ and UO ions on crosslinked poly[2,2-bis(acrylamido)acetic acid]

The synthesis of a water-insoluble metal ion complexing resin was carried out by radical polymerization of 2,2-bis(acrylamido) acetic acid. The resin was characterized by elemental analyses, FTIR spectroscopy, and thermal analyses. The ability to bind copper(II), iron(II), iron(III), and uranium(VI) as well as the elution of the metal ions from the loaded resins were studied. For uranyl ions, pH 5 was the optimum sorption pH value. Sorption selectivity from the binary mixture Cu(II) + U(VI) was studied at pH 2. The thermal stability is increased by adsorption of UO. According to these results a coordination mechanism is suggested for sorption of copper and uranium. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Cysteine-metal affinity chromatography: determination of heavy metal adsorption properties

Various adsorbent materials have been reported in the literature for heavy metal removal. We have developed a novel approach to obtain high metal sorption capacity utilising cysteine containing adsorbent. Metal complexing aminoacid-ligand cysteine was immobilised onto poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate) (PHEMA) microbeads. PHEMA-cysteine affinity microbeads containing 0.318 mmol cysteine/g were used in the removal of heavy metal ions (i.e. copper, lead and cadmium) from aqueous media containing different amounts of these ions (50–400 mg/l for Pb(II) and Cd(II), 25–60 mg/l for Cu(II)) and at different pH values (4.0–7.0). The maximum adsorption capacity of heavy metal ions onto the cysteine-containing microbeads under non-competitive conditions were 0.259 mmol/g for Pb(II), 0.330 mmol/g for Cd(II) and 0.229 mmol/g for Cu(II). The affinity order was observed as follows: Cd(II)>Pb(II)>Cu(II). The competitive adsorption capacities of the heavy metals were 0.260 mmol/g for Cd(II) and 0.120 mmol/g for Cu(II). Pb(II) adsorption onto cysteine-immobilised microbeads was zero under competitive conditions. The affinity order was as follows: Cd(II)>Cu(II)>Pb(II). The formation constants of cysteine–metal ion complexes have been investigated applying the method of Ruzic. The calculated value of stability constants were 1.75×10⁴ l/mol for Pb(II)–cysteine complex and 4.35×10⁴ l/mol for Cd(II)–cysteine complex and 1.39×10⁴ l/mol for Cu(II)–cysteine complex. PHEMA microbeads carrying cysteine can be regenerated by washing with a solution of hydrochloric acid (0.05 M). The maximum desorption ratio was greater than 99%. These PHEMA microbeads are suitable for repeated use for more than three adsorption–desorption cycles without considerable loss in adsorption capacity.     

Cleaning Water Contaminated with Heavy Metal Ions Using Pyrolyzed Biochar Adsorbents

The extraction of pollutants from water using activated biochar materials is a low cost, sustainable approach for providing safe water in developing countries. The adsorption of copper ions, Cu(II), onto pyrolyzed and activated dried banana peel was studied and compared with the adsorption of copper ions onto a commercial activated carbon, F-400. Both the physical and chemical properties of the banana peel and activated carbon were measured. Pyrolysis of dried banana peels resulted in the formation of a large, porous surface area adsorbent with strongly negative surface charges.

Screening studies, which were designed to evaluate the effect of the mass of the adsorbent, pH of the solution, tumbling time, and initial Cu(II) concentration were conducted for each adsorbent. Equilibrium adsorption data were also analyzed, and the Freundlich isotherm resulted in a better fit than the Langmuir isotherm. The degree of favorability of adsorption of Cu(II) ions and adsorption capacity were 1.25 and 351.1 mg/g for pyrolyzed banana peel, respectively. The sorption kinetics fit a pseudo-second order equation. The mechanism of adsorption of metal ions on pyrolyzed banana peel followed ion exchange and electrostatic interactions resulting in the complexation of adsorbed ions.