Ba-modified peanut shell biochar (PSB): preparation and adsorption of Pb(II) from water

The impact of Ba-modified peanut shell biochar (Ba-PSB) on Pb(II) removal was studied and BaCl₂ was used as a modifier. It was shown that the PSB obtained at 750 °C had the best adsorption effect, and the Ba-PSB had a larger specific surface area and a good adsorption effect on Pb(II). At pH = 5, concentration was 400 mg/L, time was 14 h, and temperature was 55 °C, the loading amount of black peanut shell biochar (BPSB), red peanut shell biochar (RPSB), Ba-BPSB, and Ba-RPSB reached 128.050, 98.217, 379.330, and 364.910 mg/g, respectively. In addition, based on the non-linear fitting, it was found that the quasi-second-order kinetic model, and isothermal model could be applied to describe Pb(II) adsorption on PSB and Ba-PSB. The adsorption behavior of PSB unmodified and modified was a spontaneous process. Moreover, chemical modification of BPSB, RPSB, Ba-BPSB, and Ba-RPSB for hindering of -COOH and -OH groups revealed 81.81, 77.08, 86.90, and 83.65% removal of Pb(II), respectively, which was due to the participation of -COOH, while 17.61, 21.70, 12.77, and 15.06% was from -OH group, respectively. The increase of cation strength (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺) will reduce the adsorption capacity of PSB for Pb(II).