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Removal of Cd, Cr, and Pb from aqueous solution by unmodified and modified agricultural wastes

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Abstract

The adsorption of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb), widely detected in wastewater, by unmodified and modified banana stalks, corn cob, and sunflower achene was explored. The three agricultural wastes were chemically modified with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), in combination with nitric acid (HNO3) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4), in order to improve their adsorptive binding capacity. The experiments were conducted as a function of contact time and initial metal ion concentrations. Of the three waste materials, corn cob had the highest adsorptive capacity for Pb than Cr and Cd. The NaOH-modified substrates had higher adsorptive capacity than the acid modified samples. The chemical treatment invariably increased the adsorption capacity between 10 and 100 %. The Langmuir maximum sorption capacity (q m) of Pb was highest (21–60 mg g−1 of banana, 30–57 mg g−1 of corn cob, and 23–28 mg g−1 of sunflower achene) and that of Cd was least (4–7 mg g−1 of banana, 14–20 mg g−1 of corn cob, and 11–16 mg g−1 of sunflower achene). The q m was in the order of Pb > Cr > Cd for all the three adsorbents. The results demonstrate that the agricultural waste materials used in this study could be used to remediate water polluted with heavy metals.

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Acknowledgments

The research work was financially supported by the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council through the “Research for Agricultural Development Program.” We thank Saif-ur-Rehman and Riaz-ul-Haq for the assistance in laboratory experimental and analytical work. We are grateful to Professor Dr. P. J. Gregory for editing and syntax improvement of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Land Resources Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, 45500, Pakistan

    Muhammad Mahmood-ul-Hassan, Vishandas Suthor, Ejaz Rafique & Muhammad Yasin

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  1. Muhammad Mahmood-ul-Hassan
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  2. Vishandas Suthor
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  3. Ejaz Rafique
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  4. Muhammad Yasin
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Correspondence to Muhammad Mahmood-ul-Hassan.

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Mahmood-ul-Hassan, M., Suthor, V., Rafique, E. et al. Removal of Cd, Cr, and Pb from aqueous solution by unmodified and modified agricultural wastes. Environ Monit Assess 187, 19 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-4258-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-4258-8

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