Adsorption Isotherms and Kinetics of Pb (II) and Cd (II) Ions onto Carbonised Sugarcane Bagasse

In the present study, the adsorption of Pb (II) and Cd (II) ions from aqueous solution of lead (II) nitrate and cadmium chloride onto carbonized sugarcane bagasse was investigated. The physicochemical attributes of the adsorbent were: bulk density =0.58 g/mL, Ash content =21%, Attrition =31.33% and moisture =0.79%. The effects of adsorption dosage, effect of concentration, effect of ion concentration, effect of adsorbent contact time and effect of pH was discussed and detailed. Batch adsorption experiments revealed that the amount of ion adsorbed decreased with increase in adsorbent dosage; the effect of concentration on ion uptake increased with increase in concentration; there was a rapid increase in amount adsorbed as contact time increased with maximum adsorption reached at 80 minutes before subsequent reduction. The effect of pH showed that there was effective removal of ions at acidic pH than in alkaline pH level. The linearized form of Langmuir model revealed isotherm parameters that confirmed the sorptive capacity of the sugarcane bagasse and thus fit for heavy metal remediation from aqueous solution. Besides, the adsorption isotherm indicated that the adsorption occurred at homogeneous sites and form a monolayer. The Langmuir model was also able to explain the sorption equilibrium with maximum biosorption capacity.