Adsorption isotherm and kinetics analysis of hexavalent chromium and mercury on mustard oil cake

Adsorption equilibrium and kinetic behavior of two toxic heavy metals hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] and mercury [Hg(II)] on mustard oil cake (MOC) was studied. Isotherm of total chromium was of concave type (S1 type) suggesting cooperative adsorption. Total chromium adsorption followed BET isotherm model. Isotherm of Hg(II) was of L3 type with monolayer followed by multilayer formation due to blockage of pores of MOC at lower concentration of Hg(II). Combined BET-Langmuir and BET-Freundlich models were appropriate to predict Hg(II) adsorption data on MOC. Boyd's model confirmed that external mass transfer was rate limiting step for both total chromium and Hg(II) adsorptions with average diffusivity of 1.09 x 10(-16) and 0.97 m(2)/sec, respectively. Desorption was more than 60% with Hg(II), but poor with chromium. The optimum pH for adsorptions of total chromium and Hg(II) were 2-3 and 5, respectively. At strong acidic pH, Cr(VI) was adsorbed by ion exchange mechanism and after adsorption reduced to Cr(III) and remained on MOC surface. Hg(II) removal was achieved by complexation of HgCl2 with deprotonated amine (-NH2) and carboxyl (COO-) groups of MOC.