Adsorption of Cu(II) from aqueous solution using raw peat: preliminary results

Peat is a polar, highly porous material that could have significant applications as an adsorbent for removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions. Various functional groups in lignin allow such compounds to bind on active sites of peat. The adsorption of Cu (II) from aqueous solutions on peat from the West Siberia was studied in the concentration range of 10-150 mg/L and time variations of 0.25-12 hours. The pH of the solutions varied over a range of 3.2-4.3. The adsorption data could be fitted to a Freundlich adsorption isotherm and the maximum adsorption capacity of peat was determined to be 2.5.10(-3) mmol/g when the initial concentration for Cu2+ was at its minimum (0.05 mmol/L), and the time of adsorption was 30 minutes.