Performances of plant leaf biosorbents for biosorption of phosphorous from synthetic water

Abstract

Phosphorus acts as a vital part in the improvement of environment, manufacturing and agriculture. However, it can also become a contaminant in water bodies, posing a danger to the human, animals and the ecosystems. To address this issue, different methods exist for removing phosphorus from water, with bio-sorption being a mainly effective and eco-friendly option. Plant leaf biosorbents offer different levels of effectiveness, depending on the taxonomic group and pre-treatment of the plant, among other factors. In this research, locally available plant leaf biosorbents, including neem, javapalm, guava, sapota, custard apple, and mango leaves, were measured for their capability to eliminate phosphorus from water. Results indicated that mango leaves were the most effective, followed by javapalm, sapota, custard apple, neem, and guava leaves. The optimal conditions for phosphorus removal were a normal pH of 4–8, 1.2 g quantity, 60 min of contact time, a temperature of 25 °C, and a rotation speed of 100 rpm. Regeneration and reapplication of the plant leaf biosorbents can further improve the efficiency of the process.