Abstract
A comparative study of the adsorbents prepared from several industrial wastes for the removal of Pb2+ has been carried out. Fertilizer industry waste viz. carbon slurry and steel plant wastes viz. blast furnace (B.F.) slag, dust, and sludge were investigated as low‐cost adsorbents after proper treatment in the present study. The adsorption of Pb2+ on different adsorbents has been found in the order: B.F. sludge>B.F. dust>B.F. slag>carbonaceous adsorbent. The least adsorption of Pb2+ on carbonaceous adsorbent even having high porosity and consequently greater surface area as compared to other three adsorbents, indicates that surface area and porosity are not important factors for Pb2+ removal from aqueous solutions. The adsorption of Pb2+ has been studied as a function of contact time, concentration, and temperature. The adsorption has been found to be exothermic, and the data conform to the Langmuir equation. The kinetic results reveal that the present adsorption system follows Lagergren's first order rate equation. Since all three waste products from the steel industry show higher potential to remove lead from water, therefore, it is suggested that these metallurgical wastes can be fruitfully employed as low‐cost adsorbents for effluent treatment containing toxic metal ions.
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