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Sorption of lead (II) and strontium (II) ions from aqueous solutions onto non-living Chlorella Vulgaris Alga/ Date pit activated carbon composite

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Abstract

Heavy metal pollution has a harmful impact on human health and is regarded as a vital problem. Preparation of a novel, low cost bio-sorbent for heavy metal sorption is the main target of this research. Non-living Chlorella Vulgaris Alga/Date pit activated carbon composite (1:1), (CV/AC), is a novel bio-sorbent prepared by the wet-chemical method for sorption of Pb (II) and Sr (II) from aqueous media. The optimum pH for sorption reaction is 5 and the equilibrium time is achieved within 1 h. The sorption efficiencies are 90.5% for Pb(II) and 95.7% for Sr(II) with initial concentration Co 10 mg L–1 at 298 K. The monolayer sorption capacities of CV/AC composite at 298 K and pH = 5 were 6.34  ±  0.059, 5.97  ±  0.22 mg g–1. The saturation capacities were 98.5 and 125 mg g–1 for Pb (II) and Sr (II), respectively after 10 days. The sorption process is a spontaneous and endothermic reaction. It follows a pseudo-2nd-order mechanism. The results are suggestive of the need to adopt CV/AC composite as a potential bio-sorbent of Pb (II) and Sr (II) for waste water treatment.

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Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to Dr. Hamdy Elsayed Ahmed Ali, Department of Radiation Microbiology, National Centre for Radiation Research and Technology (NCRRT), Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, and Cairo, Egypt for his effort in cultural of Chlorella Vulgaris alga.

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The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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  1. Nuclear Chemistry Department, Hot Laboratories Centre, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, P.O. 13759, Cairo, Egypt

    G. A. Dakroury & E. A. A. El-Shazly

  2. Waste Management Department, Hot Laboratories Centre, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, P.O. 13759, Cairo, Egypt

    H. S. Hassan

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GD, EES and HH contributed to the study conception and design, material preparation, data collection and analysis. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Dakroury, G.A., El-Shazly, E.A.A. & Hassan, H.S. Sorption of lead (II) and strontium (II) ions from aqueous solutions onto non-living Chlorella Vulgaris Alga/ Date pit activated carbon composite. Carbon Lett. 32, 495–512 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42823-021-00280-z

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