Agave americana as a promising green biosorbent for Ni(II) remediation
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Date
2024-11-01
Authors
Wickramasinghe, W. R. M. N. R.
Karunathilaka, R. M. M. K.
Priyantha, N.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Abstract
The heavy metal content in the environment has been rising due to industrial advancement.
Nickel (Ni) poses adverse health impacts, such as gastrointestinal distress, pulmonary
fibrosis, and skin dermatitis, when present in excess, although it is a micronutrient essential
for cellular functions. Excess Ni(II) concentrations can also induce ecological damage by
disrupting the cellular functions of flora and fauna. Therefore, Ni remediation from industrial
effluent is essential to safeguard human quality of life and ecosystem health. Fibrous
biosorbents present promising green alternatives compared to other biosorbent types,
offering advantages such as ease of surface modification to attract intended contaminants
and simple removal. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the
adsorption characteristics of Ni(II) on Agave americana fibres as a value-added product.
Batch experiments were conducted under optimal parameters; 40 min shaking time,
20 min settling time, and ambient pH, which indicated a significant removal rate of 90.39%
at an agitation speed of 150 rpm and room temperature with an optimum dosage of
20 g/L of the sorbent. Kinetic studies validated the pseudo-second-order model for the
adsorption of Ni(II) on Agave americana fibre, with regression coefficients of 0.9968 and
0.9726 at ambient pH and initial solution pH of 4, respectively, suggesting that
chemisorption is the rate-limiting factor in adsorption. Moreover, the fitting of kinetic data
to the Weber-Morris intra-particle diffusion model at ambient pH and initial solution pH of
4 implied that both intra-particle diffusion and the boundary layer can affect the rate of
adsorption. Further studies could expand the scope of Ni remediation from industrial effluent
on a larger scale.
Description
Keywords
Biosorbents , Intra-particle diffusion , Kinetic studies , Optimization
Citation
Proceedings of the Postgraduate Institute of Science Research Congress (RESCON) -2024, University of Peradeniya, P 44