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Sorption Process of Date Palm Biochar for Aqueous Cd (II) Removal: Efficiency and Mechanisms

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Abstract

Date palm biochar (BC) was prepared at two pyrolysis temperatures of 300 °C (BC-300) and 700 °C (BC-700) as sorbents for removing Cd from aqueous solutions in batch experiments. The results indicated that Cd removal efficiency was significantly affected by the initial pH (2–7) of aqueous solutions, with the lowest Cd adsorption at initial pH of 2. BC-700 was more effective in removing Cd from aqueous solution than BC-300. The maximum adsorption capacity of 43.58 mg g−1 was observed for BC-700 based on the Langmuir model, which was 1.6 times higher than that of BC-300 (26.96 mg g−1). Mechanistic evidences of Cd sorption onto BCs were identified by using the instrumental techniques of XRD and SEM or predicted from sorption isotherm and kinetic models. The Cd sorption onto BCs followed the pseudo-second order kinetics, suggesting chemisorption as one of the possible mechanisms of Cd interaction with BCs. However, XRD and SEM analyses of BCs before and after Cd sorption indicated that ion exchange and surface complexation could be the controlling mechanisms of Cd adsorption onto BC-300, while precipitation (as CdCO3) could be the operating mechanism of Cd sorption onto BC-700. Date palm waste, therefore, could possibly be converted to BC as an efficient sorbent for removal of Cd from aqueous media. However, the removal efficiency of BCs varies with different pyrolysis temperatures.

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Acknowledgements

The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research, King Saud University for funding this work through the international research group project IRG-14-14.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Soil Sciences Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Adel Usman, Abdulazeem Sallam, Mahtab Ahmad, Abdullah Al-Farraj & Mohammad Al-Wabel

  2. Soil Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

    Adel Usman

  3. Department of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

    Ming Zhang

  4. Chemical and Environmental Systems Modeling Research Group, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka

    Meththika Vithanage

  5. Korea Biochar Research Center & Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 200-701, Republic of Korea

    Yong Sik Ok

  6. Industrial Psychology, College of Education, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Adel Abduljabbar

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  1. Adel Usman
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  2. Abdulazeem Sallam
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  3. Ming Zhang
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  4. Meththika Vithanage
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  5. Mahtab Ahmad
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  8. Adel Abduljabbar
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  9. Mohammad Al-Wabel
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Correspondence to Mohammad Al-Wabel.

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Highlights

• Date palm waste is possible to convert into biochar as sorbents for removal of Cd.

• Pyrolysis temperatures control adsorption efficiency of Cd onto biochar surface.

• Chemisorption is main mechanism controlling Cd adsorption onto biochars.

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Usman, A., Sallam, A., Zhang, M. et al. Sorption Process of Date Palm Biochar for Aqueous Cd (II) Removal: Efficiency and Mechanisms. Water Air Soil Pollut 227, 449 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-016-3161-z

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