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Simultaneous Removal of Copper and Lead from Industrial Effluents Using Corn Cob Activated Carbon

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the adsorption of Pb2+ and Cu2+ from aqueous solution in single and binary systems, and from industrial effluents by corn cob-activated carbon. To achieve this goal, the synthesis of activated carbon was optimized. The significant factors influencing the adsorption process namely the contact time, initial concentration of Pb and Cu ions, solution pH, and adsorbent mass were well examined. The synthesized activated carbon with an impregnation ratio equal to 1 exhibited high specific surface area of 810 m2/g and contained mainly acid functions with a zero charge point pH equal to 3.8. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the dominance of chemical bonds as well as functional groups on the activated carbon surface. The optimum pH values were found to be 5.3 for Pb2+ and 5.7 for Cu2+, with removal efficiencies of 77.5% and 86.3%, respectively. This study showed that the nonlinear regression was the best model to describe the kinetic and isotherm adsorption of Pb2+ and Cu2+. The adsorption processes of Pb2+ and Cu2+ are governed by intra-particle diffusion. In the binary solution, Pb2+ and Cu2+adsorption rates decreased more than in the single one. This study revealed that corn cob-activated carbon has successfully removed Cu2+ and Pb2+ from industrial effluents, with percentages ranging from 29.9% to 32.1%, and from 41.8% to 48.9%, respectively. With regard to the obtained results, the prepared corn cob activated carbons in Côte d’Ivoire are enabling promising applications for the removal of metal ions from water/wastewater.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to the Director of Centre de Recherches Oceanologiques, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, for his encouragement and support. Unconditional help (to determine metal concentrations) from the Director of Laboratoire National d’Appui au Développement Agricole (LANADA), Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, is gratefully acknowledged. A special thank you goes to the reviewers for their critical contribution.

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  1. Département de Mathématique Physique Chimie, UFR Sciences Biologiques, Université Peleforo Gon Coulibaly, BP 1328, Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire

    N’guessan Louis Berenger Kouassi & Koffi Pierre Dit Adama N’goran

  2. Laboratoire de Constitution Et Réaction de La Matière (LCRM), UFR Sciences Des Structures de La Matière Et Technologie, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, 22 BP 582, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

    Luc Dou Blonde, Donourou Diabate & Trokourey Albert

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  1. N’guessan Louis Berenger Kouassi
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Correspondence to N’guessan Louis Berenger Kouassi.

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Kouassi, N.L.B., N’goran, K.P.D.A., Blonde, L.D. et al. Simultaneous Removal of Copper and Lead from Industrial Effluents Using Corn Cob Activated Carbon. Chemistry Africa 6, 733–745 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42250-022-00432-2

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