Utilization of agro-industrial waste for removal of copper ions from aqueous solutions and mining-wastewater

In this study, unmodified lemon peel, as agro-industrial waste, was used to investigate removal efficiency of copper ions from aqueous solutions and mining wastewater. The effects of solution pH, adsorption time, metal ion concentration and dose of adsorbent on sorption were studied in batch experiments. The maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity was evaluated to be 13.2 mg/g at optimum contact time of 15 min. The maximum removal of copper ions from mining-wastewater at natural pH (pH3) was 89%, indicating that lemon peel could be employed as an effective low-cost adsorbent for removal of copper ions from wastewater at acidic conditions. (C) 2019 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.