Removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions using Eucalyptus Camaldulensis: An alternate low cost adsorbent

The discharge of untreated wastewater become a major threat to the environment and posed health risk to human. Thus, in this study a low-cost and eco-friendly bio-sorbent produced from cheap and locally available material of Eucalyptus camaldulensi was used for removing toxic heavy metals from wastewater. The bio-sorbent was studied for its capacity of removing total Pb, Cd and Cr from synthetic and industrial wastewater of textile and leather industries. Parameters such as the effect of particle size, contact time, pH, and amount of adsorbent and initial concentration of metal ions were examined using the batch method. The removal of metal ions was mainly dependent on the physico-chemical nature of the adsorbent and concentration of the adsorbate. Maximum removal for Pb (II), Cd (II) and Cr (III) were observed at pH 10.0 for Pb and Cr and pH 12.0 for Cd, respectively. The experimental data were analyzed based on Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models and Langmuir was found to be best suited for the studied bio-sorbent. At the optimum pH and particle size studied, the adsorption capacity (mg/L) of the bio-sorbent was obtained to be 9.259, 6.173 and 47.619 for Pb, Cd and Cr. Thus, the finding suggests that the Eucalyptus camaldulensis bio-sorbent can be employed as an alternative low-cost adsorbent in the removal of Pb, Cd and Cr from wastewater.