Kinetics of cadmium, chromium, and lead sorption onto chemically modified sugarcane bagasse and wheat straw

• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-015-4692-2
• Publication Date: 2015-06-26T09:47:55Z
• Authors: M. Mahmood-ul-Hassan; V. Suthar; E. Rafique; R. Ahmad; M. Yasin
• Keywords: Chromium; Waste Products; Agriculture; 01 natural sciences; 6. Clean water; Saccharum; Water Purification; 12. Responsible consumption; Kinetics; Models, Chemical; Metals, Heavy; Adsorption; Cellulose; Triticum; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Cadmium; Environmental Monitoring; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

In this study, cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) adsorption potential of unmodified and modified sugarcane bagasse and ground wheat straw was explored from aqueous solution through batch equilibrium technique. Both the materials were chemically modified by treating with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) alone and in combination with nitric acid (HNO3) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Two kinetic models, pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order were used to follow the adsorption process and reaction fallowed the later model. The Pb removal by both the materials was highest and followed by Cr and Cd. The chemical treatment invariably increased the adsorption capacity and NaOH treatment proved more effective than others. Langmuir maximum sorption capacity (q m) of Pb was utmost (12.8-23.3 mg/g of sugarcane bagasse, 14.5-22.4 mg/g of wheat straw) and of Cd was least (1.5-2.2 mg/g of sugarcane bagasse, 2.5-3.8 mg/g of wheat straw). The q m was in the order of Pb > Cr > Cd for all the three adsorbents. Results demonstrate that agricultural waste materials used in this study could be used to remediate the heavy metal-polluted water.