Heavy Metals Removal from Wastewater by Adsorption on Modified Physically Activated Sewage Sludge

What is it about?

Low cost adsorbent (activated carbon) with a high metal adsorption capacity was prepared from the disposal sewage sludge by physical activation method (Pyrolysis temperatures at 500 °C, 650 °C, 700 °C, 800 °C and 900 °C). The resulting material was evaluated as adsorbents for the removal of Cd, Pb, Cu, and Mn from aqueous solution. The results revealed that sewage sludge activated by pyrolysis at 800 °C [ASS800] was the most effective adsorbent for the removal of Cd, Pb, Cu and Mn from polluted water. Batch studies were performed to evaluate the influences of various experimental parameters such as pH, initial metal ion concentration, adsorbent dosage, and contact time and solution temperature. Adsorption of Cd, Pb, Cu and Mn by ASS800 increased with increasing pH and adsorbent dosage, while decreasing with the increase of initial metal concentration. From batch adsorption data the optimum conditions for the adsorption of Cd , Pb, Cu and Mn by ASS800 were 1gL-1 adsorbent dosage, 1 hour contact time, 10mgL-1 initial metal concentration , 25 °C solution temperature; and pH 6 . Adsorption data were well fitted to the Langmuir, and Freundlich isotherms. Thus, simple pyrolysis provide conversion of sewage sludge into inexpensive low-rank adsorbent potentially useful for the removal of heavy metals from polluted water .

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