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Removal of heavy metals from wastewater using low-cost biochar prepared from jackfruit seed waste

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Abstract

The present study focuses on using jackfruit seed waste (JSW) for bioremediation of heavy toxic metals from water. The fruit is abundantly grown in India and Far East countries and produces myriad tons of seeds. A simple procedure is developed in the laboratory by thermally activating JSW by orthophosphoric acid at 500 °C. Surface morphology, porosity, and structural analyses of the resultant biochar were conducted. The activated biochar was applied for batch adsorption of several heavy metal ions: Fe(III), Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), and Mn(VII) at pH 7. The average heavy metal uptake by activated JSW biochar is 76.4 mg g−1, 79.4 mg g−1, 97.9 mg g−1, 79.9 mg g−1, and 79.8 mg g−1 for Fe(III), Pb(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), and Mn(VII), respectively. The experimental conditions were optimized to remove heavy metals at neutral pH. The adsorption process was exothermic, and Langmuir and pseudo-second-order kinetic study models were best fitted. The observation was in close agreement with the experimental data. Thermal and structural characterization of biochar at post-adsorption analyses was conducted. The study has distinguished features of simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and viability compared to many of the literature-reported biomass waste.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Nazia Hossain, upon reasonable request.

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Funding

This study was funded by Taif University researchers supporting project number TURSP–2020/40, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Iraqi Ministry of Education – General Directorate for Education in Thi-Qar/Al-Nasiriha High School for Boys, Nasiriyah, Iraq

    Mohammed Khadem

  2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, University Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35000 Tanjung Malim, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia

    Abid Husni Ibrahim

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bearys Institute of Technology (Affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India

    Imran Mokashi

  4. Department of Soil and Water Resources, College of Agriculture, University of Diyala, Baqubah, Iraq

    Alaa Hasan Fahmi

  5. CSIR - Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, 570020, Karnataka, India

    Syed Noeman Taqui

  6. Centre for Materials Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, 600073, India

    V. Mohanavel

  7. School of Engineering, RMIT University, 128 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia

    Nazia Hossain

  8. Department of Chemistry, Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano, PMB 3220, Nigeria

    Isa Baba Koki

  9. Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia

    Ashraf Elfasakhany

  10. Department of Agricultural, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Thamar University, Dhamar, Republic of Yemen

    Mohammed A. H. Dhaif-Allah

  11. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Centre for Research & Development, Chandigarh University, Mohali, 140413, Punjab, India

    Manzoore Elahi M. Soudagar

  12. Centre for Advanced Research and Innovation, Glocal University, Delhi-Yamunotri Marg, SH-57, Mirzapur Pole, Saharanpur, Saharanpur District, Uttar Pradesh, 247121, India

    Akheel Ahmed Syed

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  1. Mohammed Khadem
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  2. Abid Husni Ibrahim
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  3. Imran Mokashi
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  4. Alaa Hasan Fahmi
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  5. Syed Noeman Taqui
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  6. V. Mohanavel
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  7. Nazia Hossain
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  9. Ashraf Elfasakhany
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Correspondence to Nazia Hossain or Akheel Ahmed Syed.

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Khadem, M., Husni Ibrahim, A., Mokashi, I. et al. Removal of heavy metals from wastewater using low-cost biochar prepared from jackfruit seed waste. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 13, 14447–14456 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-022-02748-y

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