Modeling Cadmium Adsorption by Activated Carbon Using the Langmuir and Freundlich Isotherm Expressions

Abstract

Cadmium adsorption isotherms were conducted using two commercially available powdered activated carbons (PACs). Isotherms were conducted at several pH values and metal and carbon concentrations. Both PACs removed significant amounts of cadmium, and removal was a strong function of solution pH: increasing the solution pH increased cadmium adsorption. Adsorption data at a specific pH were successfully modeled using both the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Adsorption and surface precipitation were hypothesized to be the operative removal mechanisms. Cadmium removal is strongly related to the carbon's pH_zpc, acid-base characteristics, and surface charge-pH relationship. Surface area, an important adsorption parameter for organic adsorbates, does not appear to influence metal removal strongly.     

Removal of Copper and Lead from Aqueous Solution by Adsorption onto Cross-Linked Chitosan/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites in the Presence of Hydroxyl–Aluminum Oligomeric Cations: Equilibrium,Kinetic, and Thermodynamic Studies

Adsorption removal of Cu (II) and Pb (II) on cross-linked chitosan/Al₁₃-pillared montmorillonite (CCPM) was examined in solutions. The chitosan dosage was drastically reduced in the new nanocomposite, which is made from the treated clay (Al₁₃-pillared montmorillonite). Several important parameters that influenced the adsorption of Cu (II) and Pb (II) ions, such as cross-linked chitosan-to-clay ratio, pH, temperature, initial concentration, dosage, and contact time effect, were systematically investigated. Result showed that in the nanocomposite with cross-linked chitosan-to-clay ratio of 0.45:1, the maximum removal efficiencies of Cu (II) [pH 6.5, dosage 10 g/L, initial Cu (II) concentration 100 mg/L, contact time 2 h, 298 K] and Pb (II) [pH 6.0, dosage 5 g/L, initial Pb (II) concentration 100 mg/L, contact time 2 h, 298 K] were 96.0% and 99.5%, respectively. Kinetic and isotherm studies have indicated that the adsorption process of Cu (II) or Pb (II) nanocomposites was better fitted by the pseudo-second-order equation and the Freundlich equation, with chemical adsorptions as the rate-limiting step. The metal–ion affinity to the functional groups of CCPM followed the order Pb (II) > Cu (II). The thermodynamic parameters ΔH and ΔS values showed that the sorption process of Cu (II) or Pb (II) was spontaneous (ΔG < 0), was endothermic (ΔH < 0), and had decreased entropy (ΔS < 0). HNO₃ (0.1 M) could be a good desorbent in the recovery of metal ions after adsorption and regeneration of the adsorbent.     

Equilibrium and Kinetic Studies of Ni (II) Adsorption using Pineapple and Bamboo Stem Based Adsorbents

This work addresses the preparation and characterization of inexpensive adsorbents for the removal of Ni (II) from aqueous solutions. Activated carbon based adsorbents have been prepared from plant based biomass resources, namely Pineapple stem ( Ananas Comosus ) and Bamboo Stem ( Bambuseae ). Adopting phosphoric acid and heat treatment techniques, it has been observed that the bamboo stem activated charcoal (BSAC) and pineapple stem (PS) adsorbents had a BET surface area of 116 and 11.47 m ² /g, respectively. FTIR analysis indicated that various surface functional groups (such as C ≡ N stretching, stretching vibration of C = O, –CH₃ wagging and C–O stretching vibration) contribute towards Ni (II) adsorption. Batch mode adsorption experiments were conducted for these adsorbents in the range of 50–300 mg/L Ni (II) solution concentration, 2–10 pH, 15–300 min. contact time, and 0.02–0.1 g/50 mL dosage. The BSAC adsorbent has been characterized with a metal uptake and %removal of 121.72 mg/g and 92.47, respectively, which corresponds to 45% higher metal uptake than corresponding bamboo based adsorbents presented in the literature. Further experimentation with BSAC enabled to achieve activated charcoal with surface area values similar to that of the commercial activated carbon adsorbent. The bamboo adsorbent has also been evaluated to perform similar to the commercial activated carbon for the removal and recovery of Pd (II) from synthetic electroless plating solutions. Also, a conceptual cost analysis indicated and affirmed towards the potential of the BSAC adsorbents for waste water treatment applications.     

Hg(II) Removal from Aqueous Solution by Dead Fungal Biomass of Marine Aspergillus niger: Kinetic Studies

Abstract

Mercury removal from wastewater is a recognized pollution control challenge today. In the present investigation, the biosorption of Hg(II) onto the dead biomass of four different species of marine Aspergillus, prepared by alkaline treatment, was studied. Among the cultures studied, A. niger was found to be the most efficient for Hg(II) removal. The effects of initial Hg(II) concentration, contact time, pH, temperature, and biosorbent dosage on biosorption were also investigated. It was observed that biosorption equilibriums were established in about 2 h. Under the optimum conditions (pH: 3.0, Hg(II) concentration: 250 mg/L, biomass dose: 0.8 g/L, temperature: 40°C and contact time: 2 h), 40.53 mg Hg(II) was biosorbed per gram of dead biomass of A. niger. Kinetic studies based on fractional power, zero order, first order, pseudo first order, Elovich, second order, and second order rate expressions have also been carried out where the pseudo second order model exhibited best fit to experimental data. The intra‐particle diffusion study revealed that film diffusion is the rate‐limiting sorption process for Hg(II) on A. niger. The nature of the possible cell–metal ion interactions was evaluated by FTIR, SEM, and EDAX analysis. These examinations indicated the involvement of ‐OH and ‐NH₂ ⁺ groups in the biosorption process present on the surface of the dead fungal biomass. Here, Hg(II) ions were deposited on the surface of the biomass as a film like structure.     

p-Sulphonatocalix[8]arene functionalized silica resin for the enhanced removal of methylene blue from wastewater: equilibrium and kinetic study

ABSTRACT

The present investigation represents the synthesis of new p-sulphonatocalix[8]arene-based silica resin, p-SC8SR (5) and its application for the enhanced removal of methylene blue (MB) dye from contaminated water. The new p-SC8SR (5) resin was characterized by FT-IR, SEM, and EDX spectroscopy. The adsorption of MB on p-SC8SR (5) was investigated systematically by evaluating the effects of adsorbent dosage, initial pH, contact time, dye concentration, and ionic strength. Excellent adsorption (94%) of MB on p-SC8SR (5) was achieved at pH 9.5, contact time 10 min by using 0.2 mol L^?1 ionic strength and 2 × 10^?5 M initial MB dye concentration. Kinetic behavior of MB dye adsorption process on the newly synthesized p-SC8SR (5) adsorbent follows the pseudo-second-order rate model (R² = 0.998 and 0.999 for 2 × 10^?5 M and 1 × 10^?4 M, respectively). Adsorption isotherms were fitted well by the Freundlich model with excellent value of coefficient of determination (R²) = 0.995 which demonstrated that the adsorption of MB follows multilayer mechanism. Wastewater samples contaminated with MB were used to assess efficiency of the p-SC8SR (5) adsorbent. Results indicated that newly synthesized p-SC8SR (5) was found to be efficient adsorbent. During the removal process, the role of different functional groups’ cyclic structure was scrutinized and found that the ionic property as well as π–π interaction of host molecules played imperative role in the extent of adsorption.     

Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone K25 Modified Fungal Biomass as Biosorbent for As(V) Removal from Aqueous Solution

Abstract

Biosorption experiments were carried out in batch and column mode for the removal of As(V) from aqueous solution using native, autoclaved and PVP treated Aspergillus clavatus biomass. The influence of process parameters such as contact time, As(V) concentration, adsorbent dosage, and pH have been investigated for As(V) adsorption. Maximum As(V) removal was observed with PVP K25 modified biomass (PVPAB) (80.25%) when compared to native (57%) and autoclaved (71.63%) biomass. PVPAB biomass required less time to reach equilibrium (90 min) whereas autoclaved and native biomass required 105 and 125 min to attain saturation respectively. The PVPAB showed maximum As(V) removal (Q₀ = 2.06 mg/g) and was used as adsorbent for column studies. Equilibrium isotherms were analyzed by Langmuir and Dubinin and Radushkevich isotherms. Kinetics of the adsorption process was studied using pseudo-first-order and second-order models and it was found to obey pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Desorption studies showed that PVPAB could be reused after regeneration and could lead to the development of viable and cost-effective technology for arsenic removal from ground water.     

Modelling Individual and Competitive Adsorption of Cadmium(II) and Zinc(II) Metal Ions from Aqueous Solution onto Bagasse Fly Ash

Abstract

The present study deals with the competitive adsorption of cadmium (Cd(II)) and zinc (Zn(II)) ions onto bagasse fly ash (BFA) from binary systems. BFA is a waste obtained from the bagasse‐fired boilers of sugar mills. The initial pH≈6.0 is found to be the optimum for the individual removal of Cd(II) and Zn(II) ions by BFA. The equilibrium adsorption data were obtained at different initial concentrations (C ₀ = 10–100 mg/l), 5 h contact time, 30°C temperature, BFA dosage of 10 mg/l at pH ₀ = 6. The Redlich–Peterson (R–P) and the Freundlich models represent the single ion equilibrium adsorption data better than the Langmuir model. The adsorption capacities in the binary‐metal mixtures are in the order Zn(II)>Cd(II) and is in agreement with the single‐component adsorption data. The equilibrium metal removal decreases with increasing concentrations of the other metal ion and the combined action of Cd(II) and Zn(II) ions on BFA is found to be antagonistic. Equilibrium isotherms for the binary adsorption of Cd(II) and Zn(II) ions on BFA have been analyzed by non‐modified Langmuir, modified Langmuir, extended‐Langmuir, Sheindorf–Rebuhn–Sheintuch (SRS), non‐modified R–P and modified R–P adsorption models. The isotherm model fitting has been done by minimizing the Marquardt's percent standard deviation (MPSD) error function using MS Excel. The SRS model satisfactory fits for most of the adsorption equilibrium data of Cd(II) and Zn(II) ions onto BFA.     

Removal of Chromium(VI) and Chromium(III) from Aqueous Solution by Grainless Stalk of Corn

Abstract

Grainless stalk of corn (GLSC) was tested for removal of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) from aqueous solution at different pH, contact time, temperature, and chromium/adsorbent ratio. The results show that the optimum pH for removal of Cr(VI) is 0.84, while the optimum pH for removal of Cr(III) is 4.6. The adsorption processes of both Cr(VI) and Cr(III) onto GLSC were found to follow first-order kinetics. Values of k _ads of 0.037 and 0.018 min^?1 were obtained for Cr(VI) and Cr(III), respectively. The adsorption capacity of GLSC was calculated from the Langmuir isotherm as 7.1 mg g^?1 at pH 0.84 for Cr(VI), and as 7.3 mg g^?1 at pH 4.6 for Cr(III), at 20°C. At the optimum pH for Cr(VI) removal, Cr(VI) reduces to Cr(III). EPR spectroscopy shows the presence of Cr(V) + Cr(III)-bound-GLSC at short contact times and adsorbed Cr(III) as the final oxidation state of Cr(VI)-treated GLSC. The results indicate that, at pH ≈ 1, GLSC can completely remove Cr(VI) from aqueous solution through an adsorption-coupled reduction mechanism to yield adsorbed Cr(III) and the less toxic aqueous Cr(III), which can be further removed at pH 4.6.     

Removal of lead,cadmium and zinc from aqueous solutions by precipitation with sodium Di‐(n‐octyl) phosphinate

Sodium di‐(n‐octyl) phosphinate (NaL) was used as a precipitating agent to remove heavy metals from aqueous nitrate solutions. Cadmium, zinc and mixtures of lead, cadmium and zinc were precipitated in the form of PbL_2(s), CdL_2(s), and ZnL_2(s). Lowering the pH of the feed solution reduced the removal of the metals as some of the phosphinate precipitated in the acid form as HL_(S). The removal of lead, cadmium, and zinc, from a solution containing the three metals gave a selectivity in the order Zn > Pb > Cd. Predictions of an equilibrium‐constant model, using measured solubility products of the precipitates and literature values of stability constants, gave metal removals, loss of precipitating agent, and equilibrium pH in good agreement with measured values.     

Biosorption of cadmium using a novel,renewable and recoverable modified natural cellulose bearing chelating Schiff base ligand based on 2-hydroxy-5-methyl benzaldehyde

Natural cellulose was extracted from Sesbania sesban plant. A novel approach toward chemically modified cellulose, bearing active chelating Schiff base, was synthesized using 2-hydroxy-5-methyl benzaldehyde. The chemical and structural features of the adsorbent were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX) observations, elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It was used as a cheap and renewable biosorbent for removal of cadmium (II). SEM image confirmed the microfibril structure of microcomposite. TGA showed that the stability of modified cellulose was increased to 700 °C. EDAX showed the elements of C and O of cellulose and Si, Fe and Cl of modified cellulose-based ligand of 2-hydroxy-5-methyl benzaldehyde. The elemental analysis confirmed the presence of Schiff base ligand in the structure of microcomposite. The experimental conditions and adsorption parameters, including pH, initial metal ion concentration and adsorbent dosage were optimized. The cellulose biomass exhibited the highest metal ions uptake capacity (9.39 mg/g) at pH value of 4.0, biomass dosage of 0.01 g/L and cadmium concentration of 150 mg/L.     

Adjusted pH for the Selective Separation of Cadmium from Lead by Nano-Active Silica-Functionalized-[Bmim+Tf2 N−] Ionic Liquid

A method is described for the selective separation and extraction of cadmium-lead from aqueous solutions by tuning the pH value between 1.0 and 7.0. A modified nano-active silica sorbent was loaded with 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide hydrophobic ionic liquid, [Bmim⁺Tf₂N^?] and used in this work. The pH value was found to play a significant role in the sorption capacity of Cd(II) and Pb(II). In pH 1.0, the metal capacity values were characterized as 1.40 and 0.30 mmol g^?1 for Cd(II) and Pb(II), respectively. In pH 7.0, Cd(II) and Pb(II) switched their capacity values to 0.65 and 1.00 mmol g^?1, respectively. An anion exchange mechanism was proposed in solution with pH 1.0 for exchange of chloroanionic cadmium species by [Tf₂N^?]. The sorptive separation processes of Cd(II) and Pb(II) were studied and evaluated under the influence of various controlling factors. The potential applications of modified nano-silica sorbent for selective sorptive removal and separation of Cd(II) from Pb(II) in water samples was successfully accomplished by adjusting the pH value of the contact solution between 1.0 and 7.0. The results of this study indicated an efficient extraction behavior of the two examined metal ions.     

Regression model,artificial intelligence,and cost estimation for phosphate adsorption using encapsulated nanoscale zero-valent iron

This study investigated the adsorption of PO₄^3? onto encapsulated nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI). At initial PO₄^3–: 10 mg · L^?1, the optimum condition was initial pH: 6.5, nZVI dosage: 20 g · L^?1, stirring-rate: 100 rpm, and time: 30 min, achieving PO₄^3? removal of 42%. The effect of pH and time on the PO₄^3? removal efficiency was quadratic-linear concave up, whereas the curve of nZVI dosage was quadratic-convex. Artificial neural network with a structure of 5?7?1 adequately predicted PO₄^3? removal (R²: 97.6%), and the sensitivity analysis demonstrated that pH was the most influential input. The cost of the adsorption unit was 3.15 $USD · m^?3.     

Dynamics and Thermodynamics Studies on the Lead and Cadmium Removal from Aqueous Solutions by Padina sp. Algae: Studies in Single and Binary Metal Systems

Raw and modified biomasses prepared from Padina sp. algae have been used as sorbent for the removal of lead and cadmium from single and binary aqueous solutions. The effects of chemical pretreatment, exposure time, initial solution pH, initial metal concentration, and temperature on the metal uptake by the algae were investigated. It was observed that initial solution pH considerably influenced Pb and Cd uptake. The maximum removal occurred at initial pH of 5.0 for lead and 6.0 for cadmium. Also, alkali modified biomass has been shown to have a high uptake capacity for both lead and cadmium. The kinetic and equilibrium experimental data fitting tested with various models. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm provided the best correlation of the kinetic and equilibrium experimental data, respectively. The maximum uptake estimated from the Langmuir isotherm was 264 mg g^?1 for lead and 164 mg g^?1 for cadmium ions. Experimental biosorption data in binary system were well described by the extended Langmuir model. Various thermodynamic parameters, such as ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS° were calculated.     

Removal of Lead(II) from Aqueous Solutions using Pre-boiled and Formaldehyde-Treated Onion Skins as a New Adsorbent

The adsorption characteristics of Pb²⁺ on pre-boiled treated onion skins (PTOS) and formaldehyde-treated onion skins (FTOS) were evaluated. The effects of Pb²⁺ initial concentration, agitation rate, solution pH, and temperature on Pb²⁺ adsorption were investigated in batch systems. Pb²⁺ adsorption was found to increase with increase in initial concentration. The point of zero net charge (PZC) was 6.53. The optimum pH for the maximum removal of Pb²⁺ was 6.0. The adsorption equilibrium data was best represented by the Langmuir isotherm model for FTOS and the Freundlich isotherm model for PTOS. The maximum amounts of Pb²⁺ adsorbed (qm), as evaluated by the Langmuir isotherm, was 200 mgg^?1 for FTOS. The efficiencies of PTOS and FTOS for Pb²⁺ removal were 84,8.0% and 93.5% at 0.15 g/200 mL^?1 adsorbent dose, respectively. (C ₀ = 50 mg L^?1). Study concluded that onion skins, a waste material, have good potential as an adsorbent to remove toxic metals like Pb²⁺ from water. Boehm titration analysis was conducted to determine the surface groups. It was found that the adsorption kinetics of Pb²⁺ obeyed pseudo-first-order kinetic model as based on Δq (%) values. FTIR and SEM images before and after adsorption was recorded to explore changes in adsorbent-surface morphology. Activation energy (Ea) was obtained as 25.596 kJ/mol.     

Removal of Cr(VI) From Aqueous Solution by Turkish Vermiculite: Equilibrium,Thermodynamic and Kinetic Studies

Abstract

The adsorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by Turkish vermiculite were investigated in terms of equilibrium, kinetics, and thermodynamics. Experimental parameters affecting the removal process such as pH of solution, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and temperature were studied. Equilibrium adsorption data were evaluated by Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D–R) isotherm models. Langmuir model fitted the equilibrium data better than the Freundlich model. The monolayer adsorption capacity of Turkish vermiculite for Cr(VI) was found to be 87.7 mg/g at pH 1.5, 10 g/L adsorbent dosage and 20°C. The mean free energy of adsorption (5.9 kJ/mol) obtained from the D–R isotherm indicated that the type of sorption was essentially physical. The calculated thermodynamic parameters (ΔG ^o , ΔH ^o and ΔS ^o ) showed that the removal of Cr(VI) ions from aqueous solution by the vermiculite was feasible, spontaneous and exothermic at 20–50°C. Equilibrium data were also tested using the adsorption kinetic models and the results showed that the adsorption processes of Cr(VI) onto Turkish vermiculite followed well pseudo-second order kinetics.     

Fe2+-modified Vermiculite for the Removal of Chromium (VI) from Aqueous Solution

A novel adsorbent: Fe²⁺-modified vermiculite was prepared in a two-step reaction. Adsorption experiments were carried out as a function of pH, contact time, and concentration of Cr(VI). It was found that Fe²⁺-modified vermiculite was particularly effective for the removal of Cr(VI) at pH 1.0. The adsorption of Cr(VI) reached equilibrium within 60 min, and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model best described the adsorption kinetics. The adsorption data follow the Langmuir model more than the Freundlich model. At pH 1.0, the maximum Cr(VI) sorption capacity (Q _max ) was 87.72 mg · g^?1. Desorption of Cr(VI) from Fe²⁺-modified vermiculite using NaOH treatment exhibited a higher desorption efficiency by more than 80%. The sorption mechanisms including electrostatic interaction and reduction were involved in the Cr (VI) removal. The results showed that Fe²⁺-modified vermiculite can be used as a new adsorbent for Cr(VI) removal which has a higher adsorption capacity and a faster adsorption rate.     

Effects of Acylation and Crosslinking on the Material Properties and Cadmium Ion Adsorption Capacity of Porous Chitosan Beads

Abstract

Chitosan is a novel glucosamine biopolymer derived from the shells of marine organisms. This biopolymer is very attractive for heavy metal ion separations from wastewater because it is selective for toxic transition metal ions over less toxic alkali or alkane earth metal ions. Highly porous, 3-mm chitosan beads were prepared by an aqueous phase-inversion technique for casting gel beads followed by freeze drying. In the attempt to simultaneously improve material properties and adsorption capacity, chitosan was chemically modified by 1) homogeneous acylation of amine groups with nonanoyl chloride before bead casting, and 2) heterogeneous crosslinking of linear chitosan chains with the bifunctional reagent glutaric dialdehyde (GA) after bead casting but before freeze drying. The random addition of C₈ hydrocarbon side chains to about 7% of the amine groups on uncrosslinked chitosan beads via N-acylation improved the saturation adsorption capacity from 169 to 216 mg Cd²⁺/g-bead at saturation (pH 6.5, 25°C) but only slightly reduced solubility in acid solution. Crosslinking of the N-acylated chitosan beads with 0.125 to 2.5 wt% GA in the crosslinking bath increased the internal surface area from 40 to 224 m²/g and rendered the beads insoluble in 1 M acetic acid (pH 2.36). However, crosslinking of the N-acylated chitosan beads reduced the saturation adsorption capacity to 136 mg Cd²⁺/g-bead at 0.75 wt% GA and 86 mg Cd²⁺/g-bead at 2.5 wt% GA. Crosslinking also significantly reduced the compression strength. There was no clear relationship between internal surface area and adsorption capacity, suggesting that the adsorbed cadmium was not uniformly loaded into the bead.     

Ion‐selective Imprinted Superporous Monolith for Cadmium Removal from Human Plasma

Abstract

Molecular recognition based separation systems have received much attention because of their high selectivity for target molecules. Molecular imprinting has been recognized as a promising technique for the development of affinity adsorbents. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) are easy to prepare, stable, inexpensive, and capable of molecular recognition. Cadmium is a carcinogenic and mutagenic element. The limit value of cadmium in blood should be no higher than 50 pg/L when exposure to cadmium is unavoidable in industry. There is no specific treatment available for acute or chronic metal poisoning. Besides supportive therapy and hemodialysis, metal poisoning is often treated with commercially available chelating agents including EDTA and dimercaprol. However, there is histopathological evidence for increased toxicity in animals when these agents are utilized. The aim of this study is to prepare superporous ion‐imprinted polymer monolith which can be used for the selective removal of Cd²⁺ ions from Cd²⁺‐overdosed human plasma. N‐methacryloly‐(L)‐cysteinemethylester (MAC) was chosen as the complexing monomer. In the first step, MAC synthesized by using methacryloyl chloride and cysteine. Cd²⁺ was complexed with MAC monomer and the Cd²⁺‐imprinted poly(HEMA‐MAC) monoliths were synthesized by bulk polymerization. After that, Cd²⁺ ions were removed by 0.1 M thiourea and 0.1 M HNO₃ solutions, respectively. Cd²⁺‐imprinted poly(HEMA‐MAC) monoliths had a specific surface area of 226.8 m²/g and the swelling ratio was determined to be 76%. According to the elemental analysis results, monoliths contain approximately 58.3 µmol/g of MAC. The maximum adsorption capacity for Cd²⁺ ions was 26.6 µmol/g of the dry weight of monolith. The adsorption capacity decreased significantly from 23.25 µmol/g to 3.08 µmol/g polymer with the increase of the flow‐rate from 1 mL/min to 4 mL/min. The Cd²⁺‐imprinted poly(HEMA‐MAC) monolith could be used many times without decreasing their adsorption capacities significantly.     

Cadmium and zinc adsorption onto activated carbon: Influence of temperature,pH and metal/carbon ratio

The adsorption characteristics of cadmium and zinc onto a granular activated carbon were studied. Cadmium and zinc removals increased on raising pH and temperature, and decreased on raising the molar metal/carbon ratio. The adsorption processes were modelled using the surface complex formation (SCF) Triple Layer Model (TLM) with an overall bidentate species. A dependence of the SCF constant on pH, the molar metal/carbon ratio and temperature was observed, and a correlation for log K_ads was determined. The SCF model successfully predicted cadmium and zinc removals.     

Removal of Cadmium from Aqueous Solution using Wheat Stem,Corncob, and Rice Husk

Three kinds of agricultural by-products, wheat stem, corncob, and rice husk, were tested as biosorbents for cadmium removal from aqueous solution. The study was focused on the evaluation and comparison of the potential of the agriculture by-products as biosorbents of cadmium with the sorption isotherms determination. The impact of solution pH and kinetic study was also discussed. The result indicated that cadmium removal was strongly dependent on solution pH and the optimum pH range is 4.5 ～ 6.0. The sorption process was fast, and the sorption equilibrium can be attained within 60 min. The kinetic process fit well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. For the three kinds of biosorbents, the initial sorption rate as well as the maximum sorption capacity q _max calculated from the Langmuir isotherm equation showed the following tendency: rice husk > wheat stem > corncob. The maximum sorption capacity of the three kinds of biosorbents enhanced after being base treated, especially for wheat stem and corncob. This study indicated that wheat stem, corncob, and rice husk displayed the potential to be used as biosorbents for cadmium removal from aqueous solution.