Heavy metal adsorption on yellow loam clay modified by biomass- and biochar-decomposed liquids from Ficus microcarpa

Abstract

In studing the heavy metal adsorption effect of decomposed liquid (Dl) on yellow loam clay (C), biomass-Dl (BmDl) and biochar-Dl (BcDl) from Ficus microcarpa leaves were used to modify C. The different Dl-modified Cs (Dl-Cs) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A batch method was used to study the adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics of Pb(II) and Cd(II), as well as the effects of decomposition time, modification ratio, pH, temperature, and ionic strength on the adsorption process. Results of microscopic morphology indicated that Dl was modified on the C surface, and it changed the surface properties. The adsorption isotherms of Pb(II) and Cd(II) by different Dl-Cs conformed to the Langmuir and Freundlich model, with the maximum adsorption capacity (qm) maintained at 65.64–163.89mmol/kg (BmDl-Cs) and 77.68–235.63mmol/kg (BcDl-Cs). Under the same conditions, the peak value of qm was reached at decomposition time of 14 days and 50% of Dl modification. pH = 6, ionic strength of 0.1mol/L, and 30 ℃ were the optimum conditions for the adsorption of Pb(II) and Cd(II) by different Dl-Cs. Pb(II) and Cd(II) adsorption was a spontaneous, endothermic, and entropy-increasing process, and pseudo-first-order kinetic equation was suitable to characterize adsorption.