Removal of Cu(II), Cr(III), and Cr(VI) from Aqueous Solution using a Novel Agricultural Waste Adsorbent

A novel adsorbent, chufa corm peels (CCP), is used for removing Cu(II), Cr(III), and Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. The adsorption ability and characteristics of the CCP are thoroughly investigated. The adsorption capability for three heavy metal ions is in the order of Cu(II) > Cr(III) > Cr(VI). The morphology and elemental distribution on the biomass of CCP were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed that oxygen-containing functional groups, especially carboxylic and hydroxyl groups were responsible for chemical coordination between ionizable functional groups and metal ions. The adsorption features were evaluated based on the batch biosorption experiment. The results showed that the adsorption well meets the Freundlich adsorption isotherm models and pseudo-second-order kinetics model. In summary, this work demonstrated that CCP is an attractive, efficient, and low-cost adsorbent biomaterial that can be used for the removal of heavy metals from environmental contaminations.