Biosorption of Heavy Metals by Powder of Green Coconut Shell

Abstract

Alternative processing methods are being considered more seriously, sorption and/or complexation of dissolved metals based on the chemical activity of biomass, known as biosorption, is the base of the new technology for metal removal and recovery. Different types of biomass (dead and alive) like bacteria, yeast, bark, fungi, agricultural by‐products, coconut shell, marine algae, peat, moss and aquatic mosses have been investigated for biosorption of heavy metals ions. Biosorption of each of the metal ions by coconut shell powder was investigated in this study. The biosorption capacities of coconut shell for cadmium, chromium, and arsenic were studied at different particle sizes (0.044–0.297 mm), initial metal concentration (20– 1000 mg/L), and solution pH values 2–9 in batch mode, the experimental data obtained for each metal were evaluated and fitted using adsorption models. Also, analyses were made of biomass by SEM‐EDS before and after the biosorption to confirm the presence of metal ions species.

Keywords:

• Biosorbent
• metal removal
• wastewater treatment
• coconut shell

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank CAPES, FAPERJ, and CNPq for financial assistance.