Drinking Water Treatment Plant’s Sludge as an Adsorbent for Removal of Heavy Metals: Effects of Contact Time, Adsorbent Dosage, and pH Level
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Abstract
Heavy metals such as chromium, lead, copper, iron, manganese, and vanadium are several common heavy metals that can enter the environment through industrial activities, wastewater plants, and much more. A high concentration of these metals may cause severe health issues for living things. To address this issue, the present study reports the removal of chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) metal ions from aqueous solution by activated sludge as an adsorbent. The effects of contact time (15-120 min), adsorbent dosage (40-160 g/L), and pH level (2-11) were studied in a batch experiment. The adsorbents were characterized using an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, and a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Adsorption results showed that the adsorption capacity of Cr(III) and Pb(II) ions increased with increasing contact time, adsorbent dosage, and pH. The variation in adsorbent dosage showed the highest adsorption capacities for Cr(III) and Pb(II) ions, 4.13 mg/g and 4.91 mg/g, respectively, at pH 5, an adsorbent dosage of 40 g/L, and a contact time of 60 min. These findings show that sludge from drinking water treatment plants can be effectively and sustainably used as an adsorbent to remove heavy metals. These findings also encourage the reuse of local waste materials and help in creating new environmental technologies.
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