Equilibrium and kinetic studies of biosorptive removal of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol from aqueous solutions using untreated agro-waste pine cone biomass

Abstract

The present work discusses the adsorptive removal of a phenolic pollutant, i.e., 2,4,6- trichlorophenol (TCP), using low cost untreated agricultural waste pine cone powder (PCP). The present biosorbent was thoroughly characterized with the help of FTIR, SEM, XRD, and CHN analysis. The presence of amine (-NH2), hydroxyl (-OH) and carbonyl (C=O) functional groups was detected by the FTIR analysis. The important biosorption factors like agitation time, biomass dosage, initial adsorbate concentration, and the initial pH were examined by batch studies. The biosorption kinetic process was fast, reaching equilibrium in 75 min. The experimental kinetic data revealed an excellent agreement with the pseudo second order (PSO) model. On the other hand, the Langmuir isotherm model best described the equilibrium data with the maximum biosorption capacity (qmax) of 243.90 mg/g. These values are better than the adsorption capacities of most agro-based untreated adsorbents previously reported in the literature. Owing to fast removal rates and high biosorption capacity, PCP can be used for cost-effective treatment of TCP from aqueous streams.