Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Removal of Heavy Metals from Waste Water Using Black Teawaste

  • Research Article - Chemical Engineering
  • Published:
Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Removal of heavy metals (Cobalt, Cadmium, and Zinc) from waste water was possible using black teawaste. Adsorption was observed for the three metals at 180 min. Under our experimental conditions, pH plays an important role in the adsorption process, particularly on the adsorption capacity of teawaste for the heavy metals under study. The pH level allowing for an optimum rate of adsorption was found to be 6 for Co, Cd, and Zn. We demonstrate that black teawaste has a relatively high adsorption capacity for these heavy metals; the quantities adsorbed per a half gram of black teawaste at equilibrium (q e) are 15.39 mg/g for Co, 13.77 mg/g for Cd, and 12.24 mg/g for Zn. It was found that the percentage of removed metal ions is inversely proportional to initial metal ions concentration, but correlates with teawaste adsorbent dosage. The adsorption of heavy metals on black teawaste is described by an isotherm of type I and is fully verified by the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. The kinetics of the Cobalt, Cadmium, and Zinc adsorption on the teawaste were found to follow a pseudo first-order rate equation. This method has the advantage of being applicable in developing countries due to the low cost and availability of teawaste.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bakkaloglu I., Butter T.J., Evison L.M., Holland F.S., Hancock I.C.: Screening of various types biomass for removal and recovery of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni) by biosorption, sedimentation and desorption. Water Sci. Technol. 38, 269–277 (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Yetis U., Ozcengiz G., Filiz B., Ergen N., Erbay A., Dolek A.: Heavy metal biosorption by white-rot fungi. Water Sci. Technol. 38, 323–330 (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Juang R.S., Shiau R.C.: Metal removal from aqueous solutions using chitosan-enhanced membrane filtration. J. Membr. Sci. 165(2), 159–167 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Iqbal M., Saeed A., Akhtar N.: Petiolar feltsheath of palm: a new biosorbent for the removal of heavy metals from contaminated water. Bioresour. Technol. 81, 151–153 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Dakiky M., Khamis M., Manassra A., Mereb M.: Selective adsorption of chromium (VI) in industrial wastewater using low-cost abundantly available adsorbents. Adv. Environ. Res. 6(4), 533–540 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Espinola, A.; Adamian, R.; Gomes, L.M.B.: An innovative technology: natural coconut fiber as adsorptive medium in industrial wastewater cleanup. In: Proceedings of TMS Fall Extraction and Processing Conference 3, 2057–2066 (1999)

  7. Juan C.M., Rigoberto G., Liliana G.: Removal of Mn, Fe, Ni and Cu ions from wastewater using cow bone charcoal. Materials 3, 452–466 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Marshall W.E., Champagne E.T.: Agricultural byproducts as adsorbents for metal ions in laboratory prepared solutions and in manufacturing wastewater. J. Environ. Sci. Health—Part A Environ. Sci. Eng. 30(2), 241–261 (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Tarley T., Cesar R., Zezzi A., Marco A.: Biosorption of heavy metals using rice milling by-products. Characterization and application for removal of metals from aqueous solutions. Chemosphere 54(7), 905–915 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Saeed A., Iqbal M., Akhtar M.W.: Application of biowaste materials for the sorption of heavy metals in contaminated aqueous medium. Pak. J. Sci. Ind. Res. 45(3), 206–211 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Hossain M.A., MikioK., Yoshimasa M., Shigeru M.: Kinetics of Cr(VI) adsorption on used black tea leaves. J. Chem. Eng. Jpn. 38(6), 402–408 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Amarasinghe B.M., Williams R.A.: Tea waste as a low cost adsorbent for the removal of Cu and Pb from wastewater. Chem. Eng. J. 132(1), 299–309 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Yoshita A., Lu J.L., Ye J.H., Liang Y.R.: Sorption of lead from aqueous solutions by spent tea leaf. Afr. J. Biotechnol. 8(10), 2212–2217 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Antonio Z., Roberto L.: Adsorption of Pb(II) on spent leaves of green and black tea. Am. J. Appl. Sci. 7(2), 153–159 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Sunil K.B., Arti J.: Removal of copper(II) from aqueous solution using spent tea leaves (STL) as a potential sorbent. Water SA 36(3), 221–228 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Abdollahi, H.; Panahi, S.M.; Khoshayand, M.R.: Simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of iron, cobalt and copper by partial least-squares calibration method in micellar medium. Iran. J. Pharm. Res. 207–212 (2003)

  17. Senthil P.K., Gayathri R.: Adsorption of Pb2+ ions from aqueous solutions onto Bael tree leaf: Isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics study. J. Eng. Sci. Technol. 4(4), 381–399 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Mamisahebei S., Jahed K., Torabian A., Nasseri S., Naddafi K.: Removal of arsenic from an aqueous solution by pretreated waste tea fungal biomass. Iran. J. Environ. Health. Sci. Eng. 4(2), 85–92 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Demirbas A.: Heavy metal adsorption onto agro-based waste materials: a review. J. Hazard. Mater. 157, 220–229 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Suwan C., Pachernchai C., Chutima S.: Removal of cadmium and nickel from aqueous solution by adsorption onto treated fly ash from Thailand. Thammasat Int. J. Sci. Tech. 1(l(2), 13–20 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Bodek, I.; Lyman, W.J.; Reehl, W.F.; Rosenblatt, D.H.: Environmental inorganic chemistry properties, processes and estimation methods. SETAC Special Publications Series. Pergamon Press, USA (1995)

  22. Carrott P.J., Ribeiro C.M., Nabais J.M., Prates R.J.: Influence of surface ionization on the adsorption of aqueous zinc species by activated carbons. Carbon 35(3), 403–411 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Baes, C.F.; Messmer, R.E.: The hydrolysis of cations. Florida (1976)

  24. Kailas L.W.: Adsorption of metals onto tea factory waste: a review. IJRRAS 3(3), 303–322 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Shukla S.S., Yu L.J., Dorris K.L., Shukla A.: Removal of nickel from aqueous solutions by sawdust. J. Hazard. Mater. B 121, 243–246 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Hall K.R., Eagleton L.C., Acrivos A., Vermeulen T.: Pore and solid diffusion Kinetics in fixed bed adsorption under constant pattern conditions. Ind. Eng. Chem. Fundam. 5, 212–223 (1966)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Ho Y.S., McKay G.: The sorption of lead(10) ions on peat. Water Res. 33, 578–584 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mosul Technical Institute, Mousl, Iraq

    Rafie Rushdy Mohammed

Authors
  1. Rafie Rushdy Mohammed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rafie Rushdy Mohammed.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mohammed, R.R. Removal of Heavy Metals from Waste Water Using Black Teawaste. Arab J Sci Eng 37, 1505–1520 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-012-0264-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-012-0264-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation