Adsorption of Heavy Metal from Palm Oil Mill Effluent on the Mixed Media Used for the Preparation of Composite Adsorbent

Abstract

The adsorption of lead ion from palm oil mill effluent produced directly from the mill was investigated using mixed adsorbents that were used to prepare the composite. Experiments were carried out under predetermined conditions of pH, shaking speed, contact time and particle size. Equilibrium study was carried out to determine the adsorption capacity of the mixed media. The reduction of the lead ion was effective on the adsorbent materials. The Temkin and Freundlich models were applied to describe the adsorption pattern on the mixed media. The experimental data fitted well to the Temkin isotherm with a correlation coefficient of 1, this was used to indicate the level of interaction of the adsorbent-adsorbate and also the energy utilized in the adsorption process. The hydrophobic behaviour of the activated coconutshell and cow bone carbons was observed for average contact angle of 105° and 95° for the coconut shell and cow bone respectively. The influence of the hydrophobic materials in the mixed media and the zeolite assisted in the ion exchange and in the adsorption of the heavy metal.