Removal of toxic metal-ion pollutants from water by using chemically modified carbon powders

The thermodynamics of and the kinetic parameters controlling the sequestration of the toxic heavy-metal ion Cd(II) from aqueous media by using a novel material consisting of glassy carbon microspheres (10-20 microm in diameter) chemically modified with L-cysteine methyl ester are presented. In an effort to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of toxic-metal-ion removal, this modification strategy was expanded to attach L-cysteine methyl chemically ester to less-expensive graphite powders (2-20 microm in diameter), and the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of the sequestration of Cd(II), Cu(II), and As(III) toxic metal ions are presented. It was found that the use of chemically modified graphite powder greatly increased both the rate and the amount of metal ions removed from aqueous media. This work has important potential applications to filtration of drinking water and environmental remediation.