Removal of Lead and Cadmium in Synthetic Wastewater Using Phaseolus vulgaris (Beans) Husk as Bio-adsorbent: Experimental Investigation

Abstract

The use of low-cost bio-adsorbents to remove heavy metals from wastewater and drinking water is fast gaining research attention due to their efficacy when compared to existing and expensive conventional approaches like ion exchange and membrane technology. This bio-sorption technique has recently been applied with a variety of agricultural wastes. The husk of Phaseolus vulgaris, an indigenous bean in southwestern Nigeria, was utilized as an adsorbent in this investigation and it was widely available and inexpensive. Atomic Adsorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) was used to detect the concentration of heavy metals in the metal ion solution after adsorption. The results demonstrate that when the starting concentration increases, the removal effectiveness of beans husk drops, but increases with contact time and adsorbent dosage increases. The adsorption capacity, on the other hand, increases as the starting concentration rises but decreases when the adsorbent dose rises. The optimal pH for lead adsorption was 1.55, and 4.90 for cadmium adsorption. From the findings, a cheap and cost effective adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater has been developed.