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Preparation and characterization of biosorbents and copper sequestration from simulated wastewater

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Abstract

This paper reports the potential of chemically treated wood chips to remove copper (II) ions from aqueous solution a function of pH, adsorbent dose, initial copper (II) concentration and contact time by batch technique. The wood chips were treated with (a) boiling, (b) formaldehyde and (c) concentrated sulphuric acid and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive analysis X-ray. pH 5.0 was optimum with 86.1, 88.5 and 93.9 % copper (II) removal by boiled, formaldehyde-treated and concentrated sulphuric acid-treated wood chips, respectively, for dilute solutions at 20 g L−1 adsorbent dose. The experimental data were analysed using Freundlich, Langmuir, Dubinin–Radushkevich and Temkin isotherm models. It was found that Freundlich and Langmuir models fitted better the equilibrium adsorption data and the adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order reaction kinetics. The results showed that the copper (II) is considerably adsorbed on wood chips and it could be an economical option for the removal of copper from aqueous systems.

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Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude to all the researchers whose valuable data have been adapted and have added considerable significance and substance to this paper. They are also grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their suggestions and useful criticisms which have benefited the manuscript and brought it to its present form.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Punjab Technical University, Giani Zail Singh Campus, Bathinda, Punjab, India

    M. Bansal

  2. Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius

    A. Mudhoo

  3. Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, 125001, Haryana, India

    V. K. Garg

  4. Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, 136119, India

    D. Singh

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  1. M. Bansal
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Correspondence to A. Mudhoo.

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Bansal, M., Mudhoo, A., Garg, V.K. et al. Preparation and characterization of biosorbents and copper sequestration from simulated wastewater. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 11, 1399–1412 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-013-0293-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-013-0293-1

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