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Heavy metal biosorption potential of a Malaysian Rhodophyte (Eucheuma denticulatum) from aqueous solutions

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Abstract

Biosorption is a promising technology for the removal of heavy metals from industrial wastes and effluents. In the present study, biosorption of Pb2+, Cu2+, Fe2+ and Zn2+ onto the dried biomass of Eucheuma denticulatum (Rhodophyte) was investigated as a function of solution pH, contact time, temperature and initial metal ion concentration. The experimental data were evaluated by Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm models. The sorption isotherm data followed Langmuir and Freundlich models, and the maximum Langmuir monolayer biosorption capacity was found as 81.97, 66.23, 51.02 and 43.48 mg g−1 for Pb2+, Cu2+, Fe2+ and Zn2+, respectively. The sorption kinetic data followed pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion models. Thermodynamic study revealed feasible, spontaneous and endothermic nature of the sorption process. Fourier transform infrared analysis showed the presence of amine, aliphatic, carboxylate, carboxyl, sulfonate and ether groups in the cell wall matrix involved in metal biosorption process. A total of nine error functions were applied in order to evaluate the best-fitting models. We strongly suggest the analysis of error functions for evaluating the fitness of the isotherm and kinetic models. The present work shows that E. denticulatum can be a promising low-cost biosorbent for removal of the experimental heavy metals from aqueous solutions. Further study is warranted to evaluate its potential for the removal of heavy metals from the real environment.

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Acknowledgments

The authors greatly acknowledge the financial support of the AIMST University (Grant Number: AURGC/1/FAS/2013) for the research.

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  1. Faculty of Applied Sciences, AIMST University, Jalan Semeling-Bedong, 08100, Bedong, Kedah, Malaysia

    Md. S. Rahman & K. V. Sathasivam

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Rahman, M.S., Sathasivam, K.V. Heavy metal biosorption potential of a Malaysian Rhodophyte (Eucheuma denticulatum) from aqueous solutions. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 13, 1973–1988 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-016-1022-3

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