Adsorption of zinc from aqueous solution using chemically treated newspaper pulp

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Industrial wastewater, such as from electroplating, often contains toxic heavy metals like zinc.
• Developing cost-effective and efficient adsorbents for heavy metal removal is crucial for environmental protection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of chemically modified newspaper pulp (TNP) as an adsorbent for zinc removal from aqueous solutions.
• To analyze the adsorption characteristics, including isotherms and kinetics, and determine the optimal conditions for zinc adsorption.

Main Methods:

• Utilized chemically modified newspaper pulp (TNP) as an adsorbent for zinc ions in aqueous medium.
• Performed quantitative chemical analysis of TNP and adsorption experiments.
• Applied Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms and pseudo-second order kinetic models to analyze adsorption data.

Main Results:

• TNP showed a point of zero charge (pHzpc) of 5.1, indicating suitability for cationic adsorption.
• Adsorption data fitted well to both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms.
• Adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second order model.
• Optimal Zn(2+) loading was 9.20 mg/g at an initial zinc concentration of 10.31 mg/l and pH 5.80.

Conclusions:

• Chemically modified newspaper pulp is a promising, cost-effective adsorbent for zinc removal.
• TNP demonstrates significant potential for treating zinc-contaminated effluents, especially from the electroplating industry.