Abstract
Development of strategies for removing heavy metals from aquatic environments is in high demand. Cadmium is one of the most dangerous metals in the environment, even under extremely low quantities. In this study, kenaf and magnetic biochar composite were prepared for the adsorption of Cd2+. The synthesized biochar was characterized using (a vibrating-sample magnetometer VSM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The adsorption batch study was carried out to investigate the influence of pH, kinetics, isotherm, and thermodynamics on Cd2+ adsorption. The characterization results demonstrated that the biochar contained iron particles that help in improving the textural properties (i.e., surface area and pore volume), increasing the number of oxygen-containing groups, and forming inner-sphere complexes with oxygen-containing groups. The adsorption study results show that optimum adsorption was achieved under pH 5–6. An increase in initial ion concentration and solution temperature resulted in increased adsorption capacity. Surface modification of biochar using iron oxide for imposing magnetic property allowed for easy separation by external magnet and regeneration. The magnetic biochar composite also showed a higher affinity to Cd2+ than the pristine biochar. The adsorption data fit well with the pseudo-second-order and the Langmuir isotherm, with the maximum adsorption capacity of 47.90 mg/g.
Highlights
These findings demonstrate the presence of Fe3+ and Fe2+, which appeared as a result of mixing biochar with iron oxide
The magnetic biochar derived from kenaf fiber showed better performance than pristine biochar, with twice-higher adsorption capacity
The adsorption process was favored at 5–6 pH values
Summary
Water resources have been harmed by a variety of toxins, including heavy metals, dyes, surfactants, phenols, and other personal care chemicals [1,2,3]. Since heavy metal waste almost does not dissolve into harmless materials, it accumulates and is toxic to humans. It is currently amongst the most important environmental concerns. Cadmium is one of the most harmful heavy metals, having been identified as a human carcinogen and teratogen with effects on the lungs, liver, and kidney [4,5,6]
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