Utilization of organic-rich materials for the adsorption of copper ions from aqueous environments

Abstract

This study investigated the suitability of moss peat and compost as adsorbents for removing copper ions from aqueous systems. Kinetic experiments were conducted at pH 4, 20 °C, and an initial copper ion concentration of 20 mM. Under these experimental conditions, moss peat and compost had a maximum adsorption capacity of 45.8 and 41.9 mg/g, respectively. The kinetic data was assessed using several models, and the data fitted well with the pseudo-second-order model for both adsorbents. Moreover, the analysis of the isotherm data showed that the Langmuir model could fit the data, suggesting that copper ions are chemically adsorbed onto moss peat and compost. The pH value of 4.5 was the most effective for the adsorption of copper ions onto moss peat and compost. At this pH value, the maximum adsorption capacities were 60.0 mg/g for moss peat and 56.9 mg/g for compost. The characterization of moss peat and compost before and after the interaction with copper ions indicated that surface precipitation was the dominant mechanism by which copper ions were removed from aqueous systems. Copper precipitation on the surface of moss peat was higher than that on the surface of compost, and it was found to be 7.7 wt% and 3.8 wt%, respectively. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of using moss peat and compost as effective adsorbents for copper ions in highly contaminated water, particularly industrial and mining effluent.