Volume 4, Number 1, Winter 2007, Article 9
 

Removal of lead from aqueous solution using low cost abundantly available adsorbents

1N. T. Abdel-Ghani, 2M. Hefny, 3*G. A. F. El-Chaghaby

1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
3Agriculture Research Center, Giza, Egyp

Received 23 August 2006;     revised 20 November 2006;

accepted 3 December 2006;     available online 1 January 2007
ABSTRACT

The removal of poisonous Pb (II) from wastewater by different low-cost abundant adsorbents was investigated. Rice husks, maize cobs and sawdust, were used at different adsorbent/metal ion ratios. The influence of pH, contact time, metal concentration, adsorbent concentration on the selectivity and sensitivity of the removal process was investigated. The adsorption efficiencies were found to be pH dependent, increasing by increasing the solution pH in the range from 2.5 to 6.5. The equilibrium time was attained after 120 min and the maximum removal percentage was achieved at an adsorbent loading weight of 1.5 gm. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of adsorbents used for lead were measured and extrapolated using linear Freundlich, Langmuir and Temkin isotherms and the experimental data were found to fit the Temkin isotherm model.

Key words:  Low-cost adsorbents, lead, adsorption, wastewater, Isotherms

*Corresponding Author Email: ghadiraly@yahoo.com

 
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