Environmental remediation of toxic lead ions from aqueous solution using palm tree waste fibers biosorbent

Abstract

In this study, the low-cost palm tree waste fibers (PTF) biosorbent was used for the removal of the toxic lead ions as an example of heavy metals in water. The XRD pattern showed the major peaks of cellulosic material, and BET specific surface area was 9.0 m 2 /g, and total pore volume equals 9.07 × 10 –3 cm 3 / g. The removal process conditions were optimized, and the maximum sorbed amount detected and the percentage removal of lead ions using 0.1 g of natural sorbent at room temperature and 30 min contact time was 86.99%, and the maximum removal capacity obtained was 61.55 mg lead ions/g PTF. The kinetics study showed that lead ion biosorption following pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The adsorption isotherms were studied and the best-fitted isotherm were in order Langmuir ∼ Freundlich > Temkin > D-R isotherms. The thermodynamic study showed the adsorption of lead ions was spontaneous, random in nature, and exothermic, as the values of ∆H°, ∆H, and ∆S were –1.2 kJ/mol, –10.70 kJ/mol and –31.18 J/mol·K, respectively. The application of palm tree waste fibers for the removal of lead ions from real environmental water samples was studied and the results showed the high efficiency, feasibility; due to their low-cost, of the fibers and could be as promising biosorbent.