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Abstract
The ability of pyrolyzed waste paper to remove mercury from aqueous solutions by physicochemical adsorption was investigated. Defibered waste newsprint was pyrolyzed in a nitrogen atmosphere at 300°C for 3 h. The pyrolysis residue showed high affinity to inorganic divalent mercury species. To investigate the adsorption characteristics, the factors affecting mercury adsorption were examined. The adsorbent was efficient in capturing mercury in neutral and basic media, although limited adsorption occurred in acidic media. The extent of the adsorption was also dependent upon the solution temperature and initial concentration of mercury in solution. The adsorption followed both the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms.