A study on adsorption technique for removal of Pb2+from an aqueous solution by using different types of soil

Abstract

Adsorption is an efficient and effective methods in removing heavy metals from water sources. In this study, adsorption method was used for removing of lead (Pb2+) from an aqueous solution. Three types of soil including red-earth, clay and sandy were used as the adsorbents. The first part of this study was focused on the determination of heavy metal content in each type of soil, then followed by the adsorption technique for the removal of heavy metal in aqueous solution. The determination of heavy metals content in soil such as Pb, nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr) and cadmium (Cd), and the content of metal in aqueous solution after removal process were conducted using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS). Results for the determination of heavy metals in each type of soil showed that the concentration of Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, and Cr lower than the permissible limit stated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and European United (EU). From this study, the optimum removal conditions were 5g/100 mL dose of adsorbent along with 10 to 30 minutes of treatment time at ambient temperature. For the removal process, the adsorption capabilities of soils were recorded to be sandy> clay> red-earth.