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Synthesis and Application of Modified Orchard Waste Biochar for Efficient Scavenging of Copper from Aqueous Solutions

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Abstract

Efficient adsorbents were fabricated by modifying the orchard waste biochar (BC) to produce zero-valent iron composited BC (BC/Fe0) and phosphorus embedded BC (BC/P). The efficacy of these adsorbents for copper [Cu(II)] removal from aqueous media was investigated via pH, kinetics, and adsorption batch trials. The solution pH 7 was found optimum for the highest Cu(II) removal. Elovich model was fitted well to the Cu(II) kinetics adsorption and higher initial sorption rate 79.44, 75.71, 72.28, 61.60 mg g−1 min−1 for BC/Fe0, BC, AC, and BC/P, respectively, was observed than other kinetic models. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Redlich–Peterson isotherm models were applied to the experimental data and Langmuir model fitted well predicting the adsorption capacity of 427.11 mg g−1. The BC became more selective in copper removal after the introduction of Fe0, and a higher removal rate of Cu(II) was observed in a short time compared to the other tested adsorbents. Therefore, zero-valent iron composited orchard waste-derived biochar as a green and cost-effective adsorbent can open new ways for the efficient removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the Higher Education Commission, SRGP Project 1847, for supporting this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture Multan, Multan, 66000, Pakistan

    Abid Hussain, Ubaida Yousaf, Usama Rahman Ch, Jahangir Ahmad & Tanveer Ul-Haq

  2. Soil Sciences Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University Riyadh Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Jahangir Ahmad

  3. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture Multan, Multan, 66000, Pakistan

    Mohsin Nawaz

  4. Department of Horticulture, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan, Multan, 66000, Pakistan

    Hafiz Nazar Faried

  5. Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Universiteit Gent, 9000, Gent, Belgium

    Ubaida Yousaf & Usama Rahman Ch

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Hussain, A., Yousaf, U., Rahman Ch, U. et al. Synthesis and Application of Modified Orchard Waste Biochar for Efficient Scavenging of Copper from Aqueous Solutions. Arab J Sci Eng 47, 333–345 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-021-05362-8

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