Use of Pavo Cristatus (Peacock) Feather Powder as Adsorbent for Removal of Cadmium Ions from Aqueous Solution

Abstract

Cadmium is one of the toxic heavy metal that is discharged into the surroundings by various routes such as sedimentary rocks, weathering and erosion of rock, earth’s crust, marine phosphate and phosphorites, forest fires etc. However battery manufacturing industry, plated containers, mining, auto exhaust, smelting of nonferrous metals, cigarettes ore dressing, and galvanized pipes are the main anthropogenic sources of cadmium heavy metal in environment. Ingestion of cadmium in human body increases the risk of many diseases. Many techniques have been applied for the removal of cadmium heavy metal ions from water. The aim of the current work is to propose economical material for effective cadmium ion removal from aqueous phase. A Pavo cristatus feather which is locally available and low-cost is used as an adsorbent for the removal of cadmium ions from water. The adsorption ability of Pavo cristatus feather has been investigated as a function of concentration of cadmium, pH of solution, adsorbate concentration, contact time and temperature. Maximum adsorption of cadmium on Pavo cristatus feather was observed at 5 pH of the solution. Adsorption of cadmium on Pavo cristatus feather was initially found to increase with increase in concentration of cadmium, time of contact and adsorbate concentration. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin adsorption isotherm models were applied to analyse the experimental data. The experimental data was well fitted to Langmuir isotherm model. However, the maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity for cadmium on Pavo cristatus feather at pH 5 was 64.52 mg/g. The kinetics study was examined using the pseudo first order and pseudo second order kinetic models and was best described by the pseudo second order model. Thermodynamic parameters such as the change of Gibbs free energy, entropy and enthalpy of adsorption were also calculated. The study showed that Pavo cristatus feather can be used as a low cost and efficient adsorbent for removal of heavy metal ions from industrial wastewater/water. This material may also be utilized for removal of other toxic heavy mental ions from water.