Adsorption of Cr(III), Ni(II), Zn(II), Co(II) ions onto phenolated wood resin

In this study, phenolated wood resin was used an adsorbent for the removal of Cr(III), Ni(II), Zn(II), Co(II) ions by adsorption from aqueous solution. The adsorption of metal ions from solution was carried at different contact times, concentrations and pHs at room temperature (25°C). For individual metal ion, the amount of metal ions adsorbed per unit weight of phenolated wood resin at equilibrium time increased with increasing concentration and pH. Also, when the amounts of metal ions adsorbed are compared to each other, it was seen that this increase was order of Cr(III) > Ni(II) > Zn(II) > Co(II). This increase was order of Cr(III) > Ni(II) > Co(II) > Zn(II) for commercial phenol–formaldehyde resin. Kinetic studies showed that the adsorption process obeyed the intraparticle diffusion model. It was also determined that adsorption isotherm followed Langmuir and Freundlich models. Adsorption isotherm obtained for commercial phenol–formaldehyde resin was consistent with Freundlich model well. Adsorption capacities from Langmuir isotherm for commercial phenol–formaldehyde resin were higher than those of phenolated wood resin, in the case of individual metal ions. Original adsorption isotherm demonstrated the monolayer coverage of the surface of phenolated wood resin. Adsorption kinetic followed the intraparticle diffusion model. The positive values of ΔG° determined using the equilibrium constants showed that the adsorption was not of spontaneous nature. It was seen that values of distribution coefficient (K_D) decreasing with metal ion concentration in solution at equilibrium (C_e) indicated that the occupation of active surface sites of adsorbent increased with metal ions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 2838–2846, 2006     

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.     

Capacity of activated carbon derived from pistachio shells by H3PO4 in the removal of dyes and phenolics

Two activated carbons were obtained from pistachio shells by impregnation with H₃PO₄ under standard conditions of acid concentration (50 wt%) and heat treatment at 773 K for 2 h. The soaking time was 24 and 72 h for the two samples before thermal pyrolysis. Analysis of the N₂/77 K adsorption isotherms proved that both were highly adsorbing carbons with considerable microporosity, and that the prolonged contact with activant enhanced total porosity (surface area and pore volume) and increased the amount of mesoporosity. Adsorption isotherms of probe molecules, viz methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RB), phenol (P) and p‐nitrophenol (PNP), were determined at room temperature, from aqueous solutions. Both the Langmuir and Freundlich model adsorption equations show satisfactory fit to experimental data. Both carbons exhibit similar adsorption parameters irrespective of their porosity characteristics. The sequence of uptake per unit weight was: PNP > MB > RB > P. Low affinity towards phenol may be associated with its competition with water molecules which are more favourably attracted to the acid surface which has a high oxygen functionality. Preferred adsorption in the order PNP > MB > RB is proposed to be a function of carbon porosity, related to the increased molecular dimensions of the solutes. Adsorption from a binary mixture of equal concentrations of MB and RB showed reduced uptake for both sorbates in comparison to the single component experiments. RB removal surpasses that of MB in the binary test and may be attributed to lower water solubility and higher molecular dimensions. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

The Interaction of Noble Metal With La1–xSrxMnO3 (001) Surface and Catalytic Role for Oxygen Adsorption: A Density Functional Theory Study

Adsorption mechanisms of noble metals (Ag, Pd, Pt) on MnO₂‐terminated (001) surface and their catalytic role for oxygen adsorption have been investigated using the first‐principles density functional theory calculations. The analysis of the adsorption energies reveals that the energetically favorable configuration for Ag and Pd adsorption is at the O site, whereas one for Pt adsorption is at the Mn site. Pt atom exhibits the largest adsorption energy, followed by Pd and Ag atoms. Both bond population and PDOS (partial density of states) analysis confirm the formation of adatom–O–Mn bonds. Adsorption is accompanied by a charge transfer between adatoms and surface atoms. Significantly, we predict that the order on the increase of O₂ adsorption energy follows the Pd > Ag > Pt due to pre‐adsorbed noble metal atoms. The calculated bond length and bond population of O₂ molecule demonstrate that pre‐adsorbed noble metal atoms facilitates O₂ molecule dissociate to O atoms, thus contributing to the surface oxygen diffusion process. Our calculations identify an important catalytic role of noble metal in LSM‐based catalysts, which may improve electrochemical performance for SOFCs cathodes.     

Conversion of coal fly ash into zeolite and heavy metal removal characteristics of the products

Fly ash obtained from a power generation plant was used for synthesizing zeolite. Zeolites could be readily synthesized from the glassy combustion residues and showed potential for the removal of heavy metal ions. By the use of different temperatures and NaOH concentration, five different zeolites were obtained: Na-P1, faujasite, hydroxy sodalite, analcime, and cancrinite. The synthesized zeolites had greater adsorption capabilities for heavy metals than the original fly ash and natural zeolites. Na-P1 exhibited the highest adsorption capacity with a maximum value of about 1.29 mmole Pb g^-1 and had a strong affinity for Pb²⁺ ion. The metal ion selectivity of Na-P1 was determined as: Pb²⁺> Cu²⁺> Cd²⁺> Zn²⁺, consistent with the decreasing order of the radius of hydrated metal ion. The adsorption isotherm for lead by Na-P1 fitted the Freundlich rather than the Langmuir isotherm.     

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     

Preparation of SMA functionalized sulfanilic acid hydrogels and investigation of their metal ions adsorption behavior

This study is concerned with the synthesis of some network polymers and their possibility of metal ions removal from aqueous solution. A chelating hydrogel based on modified poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride) with p-aminobenzene sulfonic acid (sulfanilic acid) was synthesized. This hydrogel was further reacted by 1,2-diaminoethane or 1,3-diaminopropane in presence of ultrasonic irradiation for preparation of tridimensional hydrogels. The prepared hydrogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG) techniques. Also, the swelling index of the copolymers was measured and the results clearly indicate that the uptake of the water decreased with cross-linked hydrogels with respect to noncross-linked form. Adsorption capacity of the hydrogels for the selected metal ions, i.e., Zn(II), Cu(II) and Fe(II) was investigated in detail in aqueous solutions at pH 3–7 utilizing atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Also the prepared hydrogels were examined for removal of metal ions from industrial wastewater samples. This study showed that the prepared cross-linked hydrogel is very efficient in chelating the selected metal ions from aqueous solutions, compared to noncross-linked hydrogel and the affinity order was: Fe(II) > Cu(II) > Zn(II). The equilibrium distribution coefficient (k _d) was determined and the findings proved that the k _d value is approximately high in the case of all measured metal ions.     

Adsorption capacity and removal efficiency of heavy metal ions by Moso and Ma bamboo activated carbons

In order to understand the adsorption capacity and removal efficiency of heavy metal ions by Moso and Ma bamboo activated carbons, the carbon yield, specific surface area, micropore area, zeta potential, and the effects of pH value, soaking time and dosage of bamboo activated carbon were investigated in this study. In comparison with once-activated bamboo carbons, lower carbon yields, larger specific surface area and micropore volume were found for the twice-activated bamboo carbons. The optimum pH values for adsorption capacity and removal efficiency of heavy metal ions were 5.81–7.86 and 7.10–9.82 by Moso and Ma bamboo activated carbons, respectively. The optimum soaking time was 2–4 h for Pb²⁺, 4–8 h for Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺, and 4 h for Cr³⁺ by Moso bamboo activated carbons, and 1 h for the tested heavy metal ions by Ma bamboo activated carbons. The adsorption capacity and removal efficiency of heavy metal ions of the various bamboo activated carbons decreased in the order: twice-activated Ma bamboo carbons > once-activated Ma bamboo carbons > twice-activated Moso bamboo carbons > once-activated Moso bamboo carbons. The Ma bamboo activated carbons had a lower zeta potential and effectively attracted positively charged metal ions. The removal efficiency of heavy metal ions by the various bamboo activated carbons decreased in the order: Pb²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Cr³⁺ > Cd²⁺.     

Removal of Cu2+ and Pb2+ ions from aqueous solutions by starch-graft-acrylic acid/montmorillonite superabsorbent nanocomposite hydrogels

In this study, the removal of copper(II) and lead(II) ions from aqueous solutions by Starch-graft-acrylic acid/montmorillonite (S-g-AA/MMT) nanocomposite hydrogels was investigated. For this purpose, various factors affecting the removal of heavy metal ions, such as treatment time with the solution, initial pH of the solution, initial metal ion concentration, and MMT content were investigated. The metal ion removal capacities of copolymers increased with increasing pH, and pH 4 was found to be the optimal pH value for maximum metal removal capacity. Adsorption data of the nanocomposite hydrogels were modeled by the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation in order to investigate heavy metal ions adsorption mechanism. The observed affinity order in competitive removal of heavy metals was found Cu²⁺ > Pb²⁺. The Freundlich equations were used to fit the equilibrium isotherms. The Freundlich adsorption law was applicable to be adsorption of metal ions onto nanocomposite hydrogel.     

Preparation and Characterization of the Newly Synthesized Metal‐Complexing‐Ligand N‐Methacryloylhistidine Having PHEMA Beads for Heavy Metal Removal from Aqueous Solutions

The aim of this study was to investigate in detail the performance for removal of heavy metal ions of beads composed of poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) to which N‐methacryloylhistidine (MAH) was copolymerized. The metal‐complexing ligand MAH was synthesized by using methacryloyl chloride and histidine. Spherical beads with an average size of 150–200 μm were obtained by the radical suspension polymerization of MAH and HEMA conducted in an aqueous dispersion medium. Owing to the reasonably rough character of the bead surface, p(HEMA‐MAH) beads had a specific surface area of 17.6 m²/g. The synthesized MAH monomer was characterized by NMR; p(HEMA‐MAH) beads were characterized by swelling studies, FTIR and elemental analysis. The p(HEMA‐MAH) beads with a swelling ratio of 65%, and containing 1.6 mmol MAH/g, were used in the adsorption/desorption experiments. Adsorption capacity of the beads for the selected metal ions, i. e., Cu(II), Cd(II), Cr(III), Hg(II) and Pb(II), were investigated in aqueous media containing different amounts of these ions (10–750 mg/L) and at different pH values (3.0–7.0). Adsorption equilibria were established in about 20 min. The maximum adsorption capacities of the p(HEMA‐MAH) beads were 122.7 mg/g for Cu(II), 468.8 mg/g for Cr(III), 639.4 mg/g for Cd(II), 714.1 mg/g for Pb(II) and 1 234.4 mg/g for Hg(II). pH significantly affected the adsorption capacity of MAH incorporated beads. The chelating beads can be easily regenerated by 0.1 M HNO₃ with high effectiveness. These features make p(HEMA‐MAH) beads a potential candidate for heavy metal removal at high capacity.     

Utilization of some starch derivatives in heavy metal ions removal

Three types of starch derivatives containing amide groups were used in removal of heavy metal ions from their solutions. These starch derivatives were poly(acrylamide)–starch graft copolymer, carbamoylethylated starch, and starch carbamate. The different factors affecting metal ion adsorption on these substrates, such as pH, metal ion concentration, type of starch derivatives, treatment time, and temperature, were studied. Results obtained indicate that the poly(acrylamide)–starch graft copolymer was a selective adsorbant for Hg²⁺ at pH 0.5–1. The adsorption values ofdifferent metal ions on these starch derivatives follow the order of Hg²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Zn²⁺ > Ni²⁺ > Co²⁺ > Cd²⁺ > Pb²⁺. The adsorption values depend upon pH, type of starch derivative, treatment duration, and temperature. The adsorption efficiency percentage of metal ions on the three substrates follows the order of carbamoylethylated starch > poly(acrylamide) − starch graft copolymer > starch carbamate. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polm Sci 69: 45–50, 1998     

Microwave irradiated and thermally heated olive stone activated carbon for nickel adsorption from synthetic wastewater: A comparative study

In attempt to compare the removal efficiency and yield of the activated carbon prepared using the conventional and microwave‐assisted heating is the focus of this work. Toward this olive stone (a biomass precursor) is activated using the popular activating agent potassium hydroxide. The process optimization exercise is carried out by using the standard full factorial statistical design of experiments (response surface methodology). The activated carbons prepared under the optimized conditions are compared based on the adsorption capacity and yield. The adsorption capacity was found higher using microwave heating as compared with conventional heating. The microwave heating requires significantly lesser holding time as compared to conventional heating method to produce activated carbon of comparable quality, with higher yield. The BET surface area of carbon using microwave heating is significantly higher than the conventional heating. Although the mesopore surface area of carbon is not vary significantly, the activation time, power, and nitrogen gas consumption are significantly lower than the conventional heating rendering that the activation process via microwave is more economical than that via conventional heating. The adsorption isotherm data fitted the Langmuir isotherm well and the monolayer adsorption capacity was found to be 12.0 and 8.42 mg/g for microwave and thermally heated activated carbon, respectively. Regeneration studies showed that microwave‐irradiated and thermally heated olive stone could be used several times by desorption with an HCl reagent. Both carbons can be used for the efficient removal of Ni²⁺ (>99%) from contaminated wastewater. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 237–250, 2014     

The removal of heavy metals in anaerobic upflow sludge blanket reactors

The continuous removal of heavy metals by the biological solids in an anaerobic reactor has been examined. The metals used were chromium (III), zinc and lead. Both competitive and non-competitive removal was studied. The results were evaluated in terms of adsorption isotherms and were compared with earlier batch studies. This suggested that the sludge acted as a cation-exchange material, with chromium having a much lower binding intensity than lead and zinc. The data also suggest that the nature of the sludge surface is of considerable significance in determining the capacity and intensity of binding. The effect of the metals on biogas formation was also examined. This showed that inhibition of the gas formation was a function of the metal concentration and that the relative toxicities appeared to be zinc > lead > chromium.     

Synthesis of strontium (Sr) doped hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanorods for enhanced adsorption of Cr (VI) ions from wastewater

The development of high-efficiency adsorbents for heavy metal ion removal from wastewater is highly desirable and challenging due to their synthesis complexity and low adsorption capacities. Herein, we reported the synthesis of strontium (Sr) doped hydroxyapatite (HAp) for the increased Cr (VI) adsorption. The effects of pH, temperature, and time on adsorption performances were studied. As a result, the Sr-HAp nanorods can achieve a Cr (VI) adsorption capacity of 443 mg/g, which is significantly higher than that of HAp nanorods (318 mg/g). To better understand the adsorption mechanism, the Langmuir isotherm model was established. The modeling results indicated that Langmuir monolayer chemical adsorption contributed to the efficient Cr (VI) ion removal for Sr-HAp nanorods adsorbents. The surface area and surface functional groups (O–H) contributed to the different Cr (VI) adsorption capacities between HAp and Sr-HAp.     

Removal of fluoride using some lanthanum(III)‐loaded adsorbents with different functional groups and polymer matrices

Although fluoride is beneficial for human beings in small quantities, it causes dental fluorosis when consumed in larger quantities over a period of time. In recent years, considerable work has been conducted for the purpose of developing new and low cost absorbents for adsorptive removal of fluoride, especially chelating resins loaded with metal ions. In the present study, several types of adsorbents with different functional groups loaded with lanthanum(III) were prepared to be used for fluoride removal from water. The optimum conditions for loading lanthanum(III) on the adsorbents and the effects of pH and initial fluoride concentration as well as shaking time and solid–liquid ratio on the removal of fluoride have been investigated. Based on these fundamental data, the removal of fluoride from actual hot spring water was also tested as a practical application by comparing the efficiency of different adsorbents for the removal of fluoride from hot spring water. The following conclusions were obtained. (1) The different chemical composition and chemical structure of the polymer matrix play the most important role in fluoride adsorption, (2) strongly acidic adsorbents are more effective on fluoride removal at neutral pH than weakly acidic adsorbents, (3) the order of fluoride removal in the neutral pH range of 4.5–8.0 by the different La(III)‐loaded adsorbents employed in the present work is as follows: 200CT resin > POJRgel > IR124resin > SOJR gel ≥ CPAgel ≥ WK11 resin. The column experiments showed that the 200CT resin loaded with lanthanum(III) at pH 6.0 can be successfully employed for the removal of fluoride ions from actual hot spring water. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Influence of iron/aluminium ratio on the retention of lead and copper by amorphous iron–aluminium oxides

Results are presented from a study on the influence of pH on the retention of Pb and Cu by amorphous iron, aluminium and mixed iron–aluminium oxides, plus kaolinite clay. The composition (Fe/Al molar ratio) of the oxides significantly affects their surface properties. Increasing the Fe/Al ratio generally enhances the surface area although the maximum surface area is found at Fe/Al=1. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) was dependent upon pH and Fe/Al ratio, decreasing in order Fe>3FeAl>Al>Fe3Al>FeAl≫kaolinite at pH 6.3–7. The oxide points of zero charge could be divided into two groups: Fe/Al≤1 (Al, Fe3Al, FeAl; pH_ZPC=6.2–6.4) and Fe/Al>1 (3FeAl, Fe; pH_ZPC=5.3–5.8). Batch equilibrium suspension tests were conducted with Pb and Cu (single metal solutions) to assess contaminant retention capability of each oxide and kaolinite. Pb retention by mixed oxides at a particular pH increases with Fe/Al ratio in the order Fe>3FeAl>FeAl>Fe3Al>Al. The same order is observed at low to medium Cu concentrations (0.5, 2.5, 5 mmol/l) but at higher metal loading (25 mmol/l), only Fe oxide has a clearly greater retention capacity. Oxides with Fe/Al<1 (Al, Fe3Al) retain more Cu than Pb in single contaminant tests at equal metal concentration. Bulk precipitation tests (no oxides or kaolinite) combined with surface charge measurements suggest that adsorption is the dominant retention mechanism, particularly at less than pH 6. Amorphous oxides demonstrate considerably greater heavy metal accumulation capacity, specific surface area, and surface charge than kaolinite.     

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.     

Removal and recovery of phosphate ions from aqueous solutions by amine functionalized epichlorohydrin-grafted cellulose

A novel cellulose grafted epichlorohydrin functionalized polyethylenimine (Cell-g-E/PEI) graft copolymer was synthesized using cellulose, epichlorohydrin and polyethylenimine in the presence of azetobis isobutyro nitrile (AIBN) as the initiator and N,N′-Methylene bisacrylamide (MBA) as the crosslinking agent. The graft copolymer, Cell-g-E/PEI was characterized using TGA/DTG, XRD, FTIR, and SEM-EDS to evaluate the structural and morphological characteristics of the graft copolymer. The effectiveness of the Cell-g-E/PEI, as adsorbent for the removal and recovery of phosphate ions from aqueous media was studied. The effects of pH, contact time, and initial sorbate concentration were studied to optimize the conditions for maximum adsorption. The adsorption process, which was pH dependent, shows maximum removal (> 99.0%) at pH 4.5. Kinetic study showed that 180 min of contact at 100 mg/L could adsorb about 99.6% of phosphate onto Cell-g-E/PEI. A pseudo-second-order kinetic model described successfully the kinetics of sorption of phosphate. Adsorption equilibrium data were correlated with the Langmuir, Freundlich and Redlich–Peterson isotherm models. The best fit was obtained with Freundlich model. Desorption of phosphate was studied by using 0.1 M HCl. Adsorption/desorption for more than six cycles showed the possibility of repeated use of this graft copolymer for the removal and recovery of phosphate from aqueous solutions.     

Arsenic adsorption using copper (II) oxide nanoparticles

Arsenic poisoning is a major problem in today's life. To reduce its concentration in drinking water, different metal based compounds were explored as arsenic adsorbents. In the present study, copper (II) oxide nanoparticles were prepared by thermal refluxing technique and used as an adsorbent for arsenic removal from water. Characterization of the adsorbent using TEM, BET, XRD and FTIR implied that the prepared adsorbent was in nano size and had excellent adsorption behavior with surface area of 52.11 m²/g. Systematic adsorption experiments were carried out with different process parameters such as contact time, adsorbent mass, pH, temperature and stirring speed and found that copper (II) oxide had very good efficiency towards arsenic adsorption. Thermodynamic parameters and adsorption kinetics were studied in detailed to know the nature and mechanism of adsorption. Results showed that the adsorption process followed pseudo second order kinetic and endothermic behavior. Adsorption equilibrium was studied with Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The adsorption process followed Langmuir isotherm with an adsorption capacity of 1086.2 μg/g. A regeneration study was proposed in order to reuse the adsorbent for better economy of the process. Finally, a process design calculation is reported to know the amount of adsorbent required for efficient removal of arsenic from aqueous medium.     

Comparison of different sorbents (inorganic and biological) for the removal of Pb2+ from aqueous solutions

In an attempt to evaluate the suitability of activated sludge for Pb²⁺ removal, a comparative study was carried out using several chemical adsorbents and three types of biomass. The order of Pb²⁺ removal capacities for chemical adsorbents was found to be: ion exchange resin > zeolite > granular activated carbon (GAC) > powdered activated carbon (PAC), while for biomass the order was Aureobasidium pullulans > Saccharomyces cerevisiae > activated sludge. Although Pb²⁺ removal capacity (mg Pb²⁺ g⁻¹) of the activated sludge (30.9) was lower than those of the ion exchange resin (167.7) and other pure cultures of A pullulans (170.4) and S cerevisiae (95.3), it was higher than those of other chemical adsorbents such as GAC (26.0), PAC (2.1), and zeolite (30.2). The initial Pb²⁺ removal rates for the chemical adsorbents were in the order of PAC > GAC > zeolite > ion exchange resin, while for the biomass samples it was A pullulans > activated sludge > S cerevisiae. The initial Pb²⁺ removal rate of activated sludge was higher than those of GAC, zeolite, ion exchange resin and S. cerevisiae cells. Therefore, it was concluded that activated sludge that has been used in a municipal wastewater facility can be effectively used in heavy metal removal processes, in situ. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry