Adsorption Characteristics of Phosphate on Cerium Modified Water Hyacinth Biochar

Abstract

A cerium-modified water hyacinth biochar adsorbent(Ce-BC) was developed through co-precipitation-pyrolysis to remove phosphate from wastewater. The study investigated the effects of Ce-BC dosing, wastewater pH, reaction time, and coexisting competing ions on the adsorption process. The results showed that the best adsorption performance was achieved with a maximum adsorption capacity of 35.00 mg·g-1 at a Ce-BC dosage of 0.4 g·L-1 and an initial pH range of 3-10 in the phosphate solution. The adsorption process of phosphate by the Ce-BC followed the quasi-second-order kinetic model, and a phosphate removal efficiency of 98% within 1 h was achieved. In addition, Ce-BC had a strong anti-competitive anion interference and a good regeneration ability; after four cycles of regeneration, the adsorption efficiency remained above 90%. Characterization using field emission scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometry(FESEM-EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), X-ray diffraction(XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) showed that the adsorption mechanism of Ce-BC with respect to phosphate mainly involved ligand exchange and inner sphere complexation. The Ce-BC adsorbent prepared in this study effectively removed and recovered phosphates found in domestic sewage, thereby avoiding the eutrophication of water bodies as well as enabling the recovery and utilization of phosphorus resources.