Treatment Of Heavy Metal Wastewater Research Articles

Construction of cellulose-based hybrid hydrogel beads containing carbon dots and their high performance in the adsorption and detection of mercury ions in water

Cellulose-based adsorbents have been extensively developed in heavy metal capture and wastewater treatment. However, most of the reported powder adsorbents suffer from the difficulties in recycling due to their small sizes and limitations in detecting the targets for the lack of sensitive sensor moieties in the structure. Accordingly, carbon dots (CDs) were proposed to be encapsulated in cellulosic hydrogel beads to realize the simultaneous detection and adsorption of Hg (II) in water due to their excellent fluorescence sensing performance. Besides, the molding of cellulose was beneficial to its recycling and further reduced the potential environmental risk generated by secondary pollution caused by adsorbent decomposition. In addition, the detection limit of the hydrogel beads towards Hg (II) reached as low as 8.8×10-8 M, which was below the mercury effluent standard declared by WHO, exhibiting excellent practicability in Hg (II) detection and water treatment. The maximum adsorption capacity of CB-50 % for Hg (II) was 290.70 mg/g. Moreover, the adsorbent materials also had preeminent stability that the hydrogel beads could maintain sensitive and selective sensing performance towards Hg (II) after 2 months of storage. Additionally, only 3.3% of the CDs leaked out after 2 weeks of immersion in water, ensuring the accuracy of Hg (II) evaluation. Notably, the adsorbent retained over 80% of its original adsorption capacity after five consecutive regeneration cycles, underscoring its robustness and potential for sustainable environmental applications.

Evaluation of Hospital Wastewater Treatment Using Sewage Treatment Plant for Heavy Metals, Radionuclides, and Some Pharmaceuticals: A Case Study

This is the first study in Oman to evaluate the efficiency of a sewage treatment plant (STP) for hospital wastewater (HWW) treatment for heavy metals, radionuclides, and some selected pharmaceuticals. A sewage treatment plant (STP) at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) receives HWW, from Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH), and municipal wastewater from non-medical facilities at SQU. Representative samples of HWW (before mixing with municipal wastewater at STP), STP-treated wastewater (TWW), and STP mixing sludge, were collected and analyzed. A method for analyzing pharmaceuticals including metformin, atenolol, chlorpheniramine, triprolidine, diphenhydramine, and citalopram was developed and validated using LC-MS-MS. HWW and TWW show low concentrations of heavy metals. Radionuclides found in HWW include Cs137, K40, Ra226, Th234, I131, Tl208, Zn65 Ac228, Sb125, Bi124 and Be7. Diphenhydramine (2.24 mg/L), chlorpheniramine (0.293 mg/L) and atenolol (0.0260 mg/L) were found in HWW. Heavy metals, radionuclides, and pharmaceuticals were found less in TWW than in HWW. STP sewage sludge showed higher levels of these pollutants than HWW or TWW. Concentrations of diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, and citalopram were 137, 0.950, and 169 mg/kg, respectively in dried sewage sludge. The study confirms the ineffectiveness of STP treatment to completely remediate HWW. HWW should be considered hazardous and requires physico-chemical treatment before mixing with municipal wastewater. Keywords: Hospital, pharmaceuticals, radionuclides, heavy metals, wastewater.

Innovative recovery of matrix layered double hydroxide from simulated acid mine wastewater for the removal of copper and cadmium from wastewater.

This study innovatively added biochar to optimize regulation in the neutralization process of simulated acid mine drainage (AMD) and recovered a new type of matrix layered double hydroxides (MLDH), which can be used to remove copper (Cu(II)) and cadmium (Cd(II)) from wastewater. A series of batch experiments show that MLDH with strong selective removal ability of Cu(II) and Cd(II) can be successfully obtained by adding biochar (BC) at pH = 5 end in the neutralization process. Kinetic and isotherm modeling studies indicated that the removal of Cu(II) and Cd(II) by the MLDH was a chemical multilayer adsorption process. The removal mechanism of Cu(II) and Cd(II) was further analyzed through related characterization analysis with contribution rate calculation: the removal rates of Cu(II) and Cd(II) by ion exchange were 42.7% and 26%, while that by precipitation were 34.5% and 49.9%, respectively. This study can provide a theoretical reference and experimental basis for the recovery and utilization of valuable by-products in AMD and the treatment of heavy metal wastewater.

Synergistic regulation of nanocomposite interlayered forward osmosis membranes with 1D/2D nanostructures for enhanced heavy metal retention

The treatment of heavy metal wastewater poses a significant challenge due to its adverse environmental consequences and potential hazards to human well-being, necessitating effective and sustainable solutions. Forward osmosis (FO) is an efficient and low-energy separation technology that serves as an effective strategy to address this issue. However, it still faces the trade-off between water permeability and selectivity, which directly impacts the solute separation efficiency and retention characteristics. In this study, a covalent organic framework (COF) interlayer was introduced via in-situ growth, and the surface properties of polyamide (PA) were synergistically regulated by amine-functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-NH2), resulting in a 1D/2D nanocomposite interlayered FO membrane with a high crosslinking density, improved hydrophilicity, excellent stability, and antifouling properties. The synergistic effect of COF and MWCNT-NH2 led to an increase in the concentration of MPD participating in interfacial polymerization (IP) and a decrease in MPD diffusion rate. These improvements led to enhanced water permeability and selectivity, as well as outstanding retention efficiencies for heavy metal ions (Cr3+, Ni2+), exceeding 99.2 %. Therefore, this study holds significant implications for targeted application development of high-efficiency FO membranes in the future, demonstrating practical value in the treatment of heavy metal wastewater and environmental pollution control.

The effect of quorum sensing on cadmium- and lead-containing wastewater treatment using activated sludge: Removal efficiency, enzyme activity, and microbial community

Quorum sensing (QS) is prevalent in activated sludge processes; however, its essential role in the treatment of heavy metal wastewater has rarely been studied. Therefore, in this study, acyl homoserine lactone (AHL)-mediated QS was used to regulate the removal performance, enzyme activity, and microbial community of Cd- and Pb-containing wastewater in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) over 30 cycles. The results showed that exogenous AHL strengthened the removal of Cd(II) and Pb(II) in their coexistence wastewater during the entire period. The removal of NH4+-N, total phosphorus, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) was also enhanced by the addition of AHL despite the coexistence of Cd(II) and Pb(II). Meanwhile, the protein content of extracellular polymeric substances was elevated and the microbial metabolism and antioxidative response were stimulated by the addition of AHL, which was beneficial for resistance to heavy metal stress and promoted pollutant removal by activated sludge. Microbial sequencing indicated that AHL optimized the microbial community structure, with the abundance of dominant taxa Proteobacteria and Unclassified_f_Enterobacteriaceae increasing by 73.9% and 53.2%, respectively. This study offers valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying Cd(II) and Pb(II) removal as well as microbial community succession under AHL availability in industrial wastewater.

Three kinds of apatite adsorbents prepared by co-precipitation for Pb (II) and Cd (II) removal from wastewater: performance, competitive effects and mechanisms

Heavy metal pollution in water bodies is a serious environmental problem continuously, which requires urgently seeking an efficient and cost-effective solution. Apatite as the most abundant phosphate on earth exhibits remarkable adsorption effect on heavy metals. Based on this, three kinds of apatite adsorbents were prepared in this study by titration co-precipitation method for the removal of heavy metals Pb (II) and Cd (II) from water. In the single system, the maximum adsorption capacity of hydroxyapatite (Hap), chlorapatite (Clap), and fluorapatite (Fap) for Pb (II) was 1597.16 mg/g, 1477.82 mg/g, and 1455.99 mg/g, for Cd (II) were Hap (107.18 mg/g), Clap (79.08 mg/g) and Fap (15.8 mg/g). Pb (II) was more competitive than Cd (II) in binary metal system. Apatite adsorbents mainly remove Pb (II) and Cd (II) from solution by dissolution precipitation, electrostatic attraction, surface complexation and ion exchange. The results of this study show that the three kinds of apatite adsorbents exhibited excellent adsorption performance for Pb (II), and also had a certain removal effect for Cd (II). Therefore, the three kinds of apatite have certain application prospects in heavy metal wastewater treatment.

Synthesis of N/P/S Co-doped porous carbons by carbonizing polyphosphazene microspheres for highly selective adsorption of Pb (II)

Heteroatom-doping has emerged as a promising approach for enhancing the properties of carbon materials, particularly in the treatment of heavy-metal wastewater. However, the simultaneous synthesis of multi-heteroatom co-doped carbon materials poses significant complexity and challenges. Consequently, there is an increasing demand for the development of non-toxic and straightforward methods to prepare such materials. In this study, we present a novel approach for the synthesis of N/P/S co-doped porous carbonaceous adsorbents using polyphosphazene as precursors. Our focus is specifically on their effectiveness in adsorbing Pb (II). The results reveal that the synthesized adsorbents, denoted as carbonized polyphosphazene or CZ-600 exhibited a high carbon content co-doped with N, P and S atoms, as well as an abundance of oxygen-containing functional groups and a porous structure. These characteristics collectively contribute to the exceptional adsorption capacity of CZ-600 for Pb (II), with a maximum adsorption capacity of 121.7 mg/g and an equilibrium time as short as 20 min. Further investigations of the adsorption process involve fitting adsorption isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic models, revealing chemical adsorption as the predominant mechanism, supported by contributions from micropore adsorption and electrostatic interactions. This work proposes a sustainable and efficient solution for the treatment heavy-metal wastewater, which not only advances the understanding of heteroatom-doped carbon materials but also provides valuable insights into their practical applications in environmental remediation.

Physiological regulation of microalgae under cadmium stress and response mechanisms of time-series analysis using metabolomics

The investigation of heavy metal wastewater treatment utilizing microalgae adsorption has been extensively demonstrated. However, the response mechanism based on metabolomics to analyze the time-series changes of microalgae under Cd stress has not been described in detail. In this study, SEM/TEM demonstrated that Cd accumulated on the cell surface of microalgae and was bioconcentrated in the cytoplasm, vesicles, and chloroplasts. Carbonyl/quinone/ketone/carboxyl groups (OCO), membrane polysaccharides (OH), and phospholipids (PO) were involved in the interaction of Cd ions, and the chlorophyll content underwent a process of decreasing in the early stage (1.62 mg/g at 48 h) and recovering to the normal level in the late stage, and the contents of MDA, GSH, and SOD were all increased (29.7 nmol/g, 0.23 mg/g, and 30.01 u/106 cells) and then gradually returned to the steady state. The results of EPS content and fluorescent labeling showed that Cd induced the overexpression and synthesis of extracellular polysaccharides and proteins, which is one of the defense mechanisms participating in the reduction of cellular damage by complexed Cd. Metabolomics results indicated that the malate synthesis pathway was activated after Cd-20 h, and the microalgal cells began to shift the metabolic pathway to storage lipid or polysaccharide biosynthesis. In the Calvin cycle, the expression of D-Sedoheptulose 7-phosphate in Cd-20 h_vs_ck and Cd-72 h_vs_Cd-20 h firstly declined and then increased, and the photosynthesis system was suppressed at the beginning, and then gradually returned to normal to maintain the successful development of the dark reaction. The results of time series analysis revealed that the response of microalgae to Cd was categorized into fast response and slow response to regulate cell adsorption and growth metabolism.

All-in-one chitosan-based aerogel with a semi-clad structure for solar-driven interfacial evaporation

Solar-driven interfacial water evaporation is a promising technique for recovering clean fresh water and alleviating water scarcity. In this work, an all-in-one chitosan-based composite aerogel with a highly porous semi-clad structure was fabricated. In the process of interfacial water evaporation, the hydrophilic outer layer of the aerogel efficiently transported water to the upper surface through two-dimensional transport channels. Simultaneously, it rapidly converted absorbed sunlight into heat, demonstrating excellent photothermal conversion capabilities for efficient water evaporation. The hydrophobic inner core enabled the aerogel to float stably on the water surface, and had a low thermal conductivity to reduce heat dissipation into the water body. Under 1 sun illumination (1 kW m−2), the composite aerogel showed an evaporation rate of up to 1.547 kg m−2 h−1, corresponding to an evaporation efficiency of 91.47 %. Notably, the composite aerogel demonstrated high stability and recyclability in desalination and heavy metal wastewater treatment, which had great potential in recovering both clean water and heavy metal salts. The evaporator with a semi-clad structure had practical applications in solar desalination and sewage treatment due to its stable and efficient evaporation performance and simple preparation method.

Highly efficient recovery of Zn2+/Cu2+ from water by using hydrotalcite as crystal seeds

The efficient and waste-free recovery of heavy metals is critical for heavy metal wastewater treatment. In this work, we explored how heavy metals can be recovered as valuable chemicals in the presence of crystal seeds. Hydrotalcite (one kind of layered double hydroxides (LDHs)) was used as crystal seeds to recover Zn2+ in the presence of Al3+ from water (i.e., seed-Zn2+-Al3+ system), which was compared with the monometallic heterogeneous system (seed-Zn2+) and direct coprecipitation (Zn2+-Al3+) system. Our results demonstrated that the seed-Zn2+-Al3+ system possessed a recovery rate of 2.6–2.8 times and a recovery kinetic rate of 2.7–5.9 times higher than those of the other two systems. Differing from the latter two systems, hydrotalcite seeds could induce Zn2+ and Al3+ to form ZnAl-LDH in seed-Zn2+-Al3+. Interestingly, the ZnAl-LDH presents a compositional divalent/trivalent cation molar ratio of ca. 3, which is comparable with the value in the hydrotalcite. It was demonstrated that the hydrotalcite seeds could act as a template to significantly induce the formation of ZnAl-LDH complying with the seed's structure and compositional ratio. Similar induction effect of seeds as the Zn2+ system was further verified in Cu2+ systems. This work provides a novel strategy for efficient recovery of heavy metals with product selectivity.

Enhanced microalgal biomass and lipid production with simultaneous effective removal of Cd using algae-bacteria-activated carbon consortium added with organic carbon source

Recently, using microalgae to remediate heavy metal polluted water has been attained a huge attention. However, heavy metals are generally toxic to microalgae and consequently decrease biomass accumulation. To address this issue, the feasibility of adding exogenous glucose, employing algae-bacteria system and algae-bacteria-activated carbon consortium to enhance microalgae growth were evaluated. The result showed that Cd2+ removal efficiency was negatively correlated with microalgal specific growth rate. The exogenous glucose alleviated the heavy metal toxicity to algal cells and thus increased the microalgae growth rate. Among the different treatments, the algae-bacteria-activated carbon combination had the highest biomass concentration (1.15 g L−1) and lipid yield (334.97 mg L−1), which were respectively 3.03 times of biomass (0.38 g L−1) and 4.92 times of lipid yield (68.08 mg L−1) in the single microalgae treatment system. Additionally, this algae-bacteria-activated carbon consortium remained a high Cd2+ removal efficiency (91.61%). In all, the present study developed an approach that had a great potential in simultaneous heavy metal wastewater treatment and microalgal lipid production.

Wood aerogels decorated amino-functionalized MIL-101(Cr) as efficient filter for multistage purification of wastewater

Exploring novel water purifier to efficiently remove heavy metal ions from the wastewater is of vital importance. Inspired by the hierarchical structure of natural wood and the chelation of amino group, a high-efficiency water purifier with ethylenediamine functionalized MIL-101(Cr) octahedrons anchored on the wood aerogel (MIL-101(Cr)-ED/WA) was constructed. Benefiting from the two-pronged approach with the hierarchical structure of the wood aerogel frame for multistage filtration and the –NH2 that capable of chelation with metal ions, the fabricated MIL-101(Cr)-ED/WA exhibits excellent water purification performances, and its adsorption capacity of toxic Pb2+ ions could reach up to 6.46 mmol g−1. Furthermore, it demonstrates superior recyclability without secondary pollution and is also suitable for simultaneous treatment of multiple metal species. In general, this work will broaden the utilization of wood-based structural engineering materials in the treatment of heavy metal wastewater.

Sulfate-reducing bacteria-based bioelectrochemical system for heavy metal wastewater treatment: Mechanisms, operating factors, and future challenges

Heavy metal wastewater (HMW) has resulted in many adverse environmental issues. However, bioelectrochemical system (BES) has been recognized as an effective technology for HMW treatment. This technology generates electricity and removes heavy metals and high concentrations of sulfate. In the sulfate-reducing bacteria-based BES, sulfate-reducing bacteria can anaerobically reduce sulfate to produce sulfide, which reacts with heavy metal ions and forms their corresponding sulfide precipitates, or the heavy metals can be reduced by obtaining electrons at the anode or cathode of the BES. Therefore, this study comprehensively reviews the removal mechanisms of HMW at the anodes and cathodes of the BES. The effects of several key factors, such as electrode materials, biocathode, initial heavy metal concentration, external resistance, and pH, on electricity generation performance and removal efficiency were evaluated. Furthermore, the treatment effects of the microbial fuel cell-microbial electrolytic cell system and the coupled system of BES with plants, artificial wetlands, and electrolytic reactors on HMW and the recovery efficiencies of BES for sulfur and heavy (precious) metals were discussed. Therefore, this review provides a theoretical basis and technical support to broaden the prospects of BES application in HMW remediation.

Synthesis and characterization of pectin-xanthate and their application in heavy metal and lignin enriched paper industry wastewater treatment

ABSTRACT Three grades of pectin xanthates (PX1, PX2, and PX3) have been prepared by the reaction of pectin with carbon disulfide (CS2) in an alkaline medium using NaOH, via the xanthation process. The percentage yield of prepared pectin xanthates has been found to be 87.06%, 90.38%, and 93.80% for PX1, PX2, and PX3, respectively. Prepared pectin xanthates and raw pectin were utilized for heavy metals (Cu(II) and Ni(II)) and lignin enriched paper industry wastewater (LEPIW) treatment. The removal percentage of pectin, PX1, P X2, and PX3 for Cu removal at optimum condition (adsorbent dose: 5.14 g/L, pH: 5 for Cu and 7 for Ni, optimum temperature: 50°C and time: 80 min for Cu(II) and 100 min for Ni(II)) has been found as 85%, 92.33%, 93.5%, and 94.66% and 76.66%, 89.44%, 91.66%, and 93.33%, respectively, for Ni removal. The LEPIW treatment efficacy for pectin, PX1, PX2, and PX3 has been found to be 54%, 77%, 83%, and 86% for the initial COD: 2000 mg/L, pH: 7, optimum temperature: 40°C in 105 min operation time. Adsorption isotherm studies suggest that Langmuir isotherm is most appropriate which indicates adsorption follows chemisorption. The adsorption capacities of PX1, PX2, and PX3 are found as 309.59, 352.11, and 380.22 mg/g for Cu(II) and 299.40, 315.45, and 328.94 mg/g and for Ni(II), respectively, which is very high in comparison with many other recent literature studies.

Efficient Hg(Ⅱ) adsorption of polyphenol functionalized Poly(pyrrole methane)s: The role of acid doped ions

A series of doped and dedoped polyphenol functionalized poly(pyrrole methane)s (234HBAs) were designed to investigate the impact of various dopants on mercury adsorption in water. The adsorption performance of dedoped 234HBAs showed no significant difference (ranging from 2961 to 3004 mg·g−1 at 318 K). However, the adsorption capacities of doped 234HBAs for mercury exhibited significant optimization and varied among different dopants (ranging from 3676 to 4103 mg·g−1 at 318 K). In addition to ultra-high adsorption capacity, 234HBAs also exhibited broad working pH range (2–11), fast kinetics (adsorption equilibrium within 10 min), good anti-ion interference and selectivity (Kd > 7.1 × 105 mL·g−1), and excellent regeneration ability (little attenuation of adsorption capacity after 20 cycles). Furthermore, through characterization techniques (FT-IR, XPS) and the density functional theory (DFT) calculation, it was discovered that the presence of doped acid ions enhanced the capture and immobilization of mercury to varying extents besides the robust chelation binding of mercury by the adjacent phenolic hydroxyl groups. Among these ions, oxygen-containing citrate and sulfate exhibited a stronger ability to facilitate the removal of mercury compared with chloride ions. More importantly, this straightforward approach to fabricating functionalized adsorbents for the remediation of mercury-containing wastewater holds significant guiding implications for the treatment of other heavy metal and organic wastewater.

Zwitterionic cyclodextrin membrane with uniform subnanometre pores for high-efficient heavy metal ions removal

Polymer nanofiltration (NF) membranes have been widely applied in the desalination, resource substances purification and separation, and wastewater treatment. Nevertheless, direct construction of subnanometre channel polymer membranes for achieving high-efficient metal ions separation is still challenging because of the complicated membrane preparation and difficultly manipulating the membrane pore-size in sub-nanometer. Herein, we exploited a novel subnanometre channel membrane with zwitterionic β-cyclodextrins (ZCDs) by interfacial polymerization. Wherein ZCDs act as building blocks with hydrophobic inner subnanometre cavities and hydrophilic outer rims, allowing for simultaneously improved water permeability and metal ions selectivity. By modulating the zwitterionic monomer grafting ratio of ZCDs and their loading content in the membrane, the ZCDM membrane exhibits high water permeance (J = 21.7 L m−2 h−1∙bar−1) and heavy metal ions rejection, e.g., RCr3+ = 99.8%, RFe3+ = 98.9%, respectively, these values outperform the state-of-the-art NF membranes. Moreover, the ZCDM membrane has good stability and anti-fouling/-bacterial properties, e.g., the water flux recovery ratio and anti-bacterial ratio is >97% and >99%, in the long-term running process. This work offers a feasible strategy for constructing polymer membranes with uniform subnanometre pore, and demonstrates their potential for the heavy metal separation and wastewater treatment.

Research progress on using biological cathodes in microbial fuel cells for the treatment of wastewater containing heavy metals.

Various types of electroactive microorganisms can be enriched to form biocathodes that reduce charge-transfer resistance, thereby accelerating electron transfer to heavy metal ions with high redox potentials in microbial fuel cells. Microorganisms acting as biocatalysts on a biocathode can reduce the energy required for heavy metal reduction, thereby enabling the biocathode to achieve a lower reduction onset potential. Thus, when such heavy metals replace oxygen as the electron acceptor, the valence state and morphology of the heavy metals change under the reduction effect of the biocathode, realizing the high-efficiency treatment of heavy metal wastewater. This study reviews the mechanisms, primary influencing factors (e.g., electrode material, initial concentration of heavy metals, pH, and electrode potential), and characteristics of the microbial community of biocathodes and discusses the electron distribution and competition between microbial electrodes and heavy metals (electron acceptors) in biocathodes. Biocathodes reduce the electrochemical overpotential in heavy metal reduction, permitting more electrons to be used. Our study will advance the scientific understanding of the electron transport mechanism of biocathodes and provide theoretical support for the use of biocathodes to purify heavy metal wastewater.

A novel low-temperature evaporation wastewater treatment apparatus based on hydrate adsorption.

Heavy metal pollution is an urgent challenge worldwide due to the acceleration of industrialization. While adsorption desalination is regarded as an innovative method for wastewater treatment, the current technologies have been impeded by high costs and intensive energy consumption. In this work, a novel low-temperature evaporation wastewater treatment apparatus based on hydrate adsorption was proposed. The water vapor from wastewater evaporation reacted with CO2 to form hydrate under the pressure of 3.3 MPa, constantly promoting wastewater evaporation due to the consumption of water vapor. The effect of feeding concentration on treatment effect was analyzed in terms of removal efficiency, water yield, and enrichment factor. Remarkably, a maximum removal efficiency of 97.4% can be achieved by treating an artificial solution with a Cu2+ concentration of 500 mg/L. Furthermore, compared with the control group that only depended on evaporation and condensation without forming hydrate, the maximum water yield of purified water in the experimental group increased to 310%. This innovative design concept for a low-temperature wastewater treatment apparatus based on hydrate adsorption presents a promising solution for the green and energy-efficient treatment of heavy metal wastewater.

An novel catalyst based on Ni@C3N4 heterojunction for efficient reduction of Cr(VI)

In order to effectively deal with chromium pollution in the environment, a heterojunction catalyst Ni@C3N4 was prepared via in situ method. The nickel particles were deposited on the surface of O-C3N4. With the synergistic effect of O-C3N4 and nickel particles, The Cr(VI) could be reduced completely to Cr(III) within 20 min at the present of Ni@C3N4 under ultraviolet irradiation. Therefore, the composite photocatalyst had demonstrated that it could play an important role in the field of heavy metal wastewater treatment.

Application of Graphene Oxide–Natural Polymer Composite Adsorption Materials in Water Treatment

Graphene is a new type of carbon material with excellent properties that has been developed in recent years. Graphene composites have potential application value in solving the problem of water pollution. In this study, we investigated the properties and performance of graphene composites prepared through polymer modification and inorganic particle doping modification. Our research focused on the composites’ ability to adsorb heavy metal ions and degrade organic compounds through photocatalysis. In this study, we prepared graphene oxide (GO) first and then grafted p-phenylenediamine onto its surface. The process was successful and yielded promising results. The aniline grafted onto the graphene oxide surface was used as anchor point for the in situ redox polymerization of aniline, and a polyaniline macromolecular chain was grafted onto the edge of graphene oxide. The structure of the composite was determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The adsorption performance of Pb+ on GO-PANI composite was studied. The maximum adsorption capacity of the GO-PANI composite for Pb+ is 1416 mg/g, 2.3 times that of PANI. Graphene/polyaniline composites can be used as an excellent adsorbent for Pb2+ heavy metal ions and have great application prospects in heavy metal wastewater treatment.