Removal of Lead and Iron Ions by Vegetable Biomass in Drinking Water

Abstract

Vegetable biomass available in all regions of the world was focused on for the purposes of effectively utilizing food wastes, attempting to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide, and developing simple water treatment techniques in developing country. In this study, the adsorption characteristics of heavy metal ions onto vegetable biomass as bean curd lees (BC), corn cobs (CO), and wheat bran (WB) were investigated. In single solution system, larger amounts of iron ion were adsorbed onto BC than onto CO and WB. Iron and lead ions were also found to compete in adsorption to BC in binary solution system. Furthermore, the amounts of the heavy metal ions adsorbed depended on the protein content of the vegetable biomass. However, because the vegetable biomass is rich in nutrients, they are likely to render drinking water treated with them liable to putrefaction. Although viable bacterial counts increased in water with the vegetable biomasses added, the water is considered suitable for drinking for 48 h or less after the treatment. © 2006, Japan Oil Chemists' Society. All rights reserved.