Removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution by zeolite synthesized from fly ash

Zeolite was synthesized from coal fly ash by a fusion method and was used for the removal of heavy metal ions (Pb(2+), Cd(2+), Cu(2+), Ni(2+), and Mn(2+)) in aqueous solutions. Batch method was employed to study the influential parameters such as adsorbent dosage, pH, and coexisting cations. Adsorption isotherms and kinetics studies were carried out in single-heavy and multiheavy metal systems, respectively. The Langmuir isotherm model fitted to the equilibrium data better than the Freundlich model did, and the kinetics of the adsorption were well described by the pseudo-second-order model, except for Cd(2+) and Ni(2+) ions which were fitted for the pseudo-first-order model in the multiheavy metal system. The maximum adsorption capacity and the distribution coefficients exhibited the same sequence for Pb(2+) > Cu(2+) > Cd(2+) > Ni(2+) > Mn(2+) in both single- and multiheavy metal systems. In the end, the adsorption capacity of zeolite was tested using industrial wastewaters and the results demonstrated that zeolite could be used as an alternative adsorbent for the removal of heavy metal ions from industrial wastewater.