Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the adsorption capacity of an adsorbent obtained using sanky peel for the removal of phosphate from aqueous solutions. The study was conducted in two stages: (1) adsorbent preparation considering yield, phosphate removal, adsorption capacity, and textural characteristics; (2) an assessment of the effectiveness of using sanky peel as an adsorbent for removing phosphates from aqueous solutions. Batch adsorption was studied in aqueous solutions containing phosphate and calcium ions with the selected adsorbent. Adsorption kinetics and equilibrium isotherms were studied using mathematical models. The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order, Elovich, and Weber–Morris models, thus demonstrating that adsorption rates were not controlled by multiple processes. Adsorption equilibrium data fitted best with the Dubinin–Radushkevich model. Finally, a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed the presence of brushite spectra bands after adsorption. The results of this study can help better understand the use of sanky peel as an adsorbent and good alternative for aqueous phosphate adsorption.
Highlights
This study revealed that the adsorptive property of S02 was sensitive to pH level
The best phosphate adsorption conditions were at a pH level of 6.5 and an initial phosphate concentration of 10 mg L−1, with a phosphate removal efficiency of 94.2% and an adsorption capacity of 14.44 mg g−1
The experiments revealed that the material released phosphate at a pH level of 4 and that the time required for phosphate adsorption to reach equilibrium was 168 h
Summary
Poor water quality negatively affects human health, reduces food production, and intensifies poverty owing to poor accessibility to water treatment equipment, especially in rural areas [1]. Modern high-yield agriculture uses phosphate as a nutrient for food production, thereby releasing high concentrations of phosphorus into soil and enriching phosphate in surface and ground water [2]. Phosphate contamination of water bodies has implications for the environmental balance and can cause eutrophication [3], which is characterized by an excessive growth of algae and the decomposition of organic matter, deteriorating water quality, and causing parasitic infections [4,5].
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