Adsorption of Copper and Cadmium from Wastewater Using Chemically Activated Watermelon Peels as Adsorbent

Abstract

Activated Carbon of high adsorption efficiency and highly active surface properties were prepared from water melon fruits peels by using 1M H2SO4 solution, followed by activation at 300oC for 30 minutes. The adsorption capacity of the activated carbon is considered on the following; the effect of concentration, adsorbent dosage, and contact time. The physicochemical characteristics such as ash content (18.7%), pH(6.72),moisture content (1.82), bulk density(0.36) and conductivity (32.4) were investigated to understand the adsorptive capacity of activated carbon prepared from water melon peels. The adsorptive efficiency of the adsorbent in removing Cadmium and Copper ions from wastewater were compared with Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm, which proved effective removal efficiency within the range of 91.80 – 99.98 %. On the whole chemically activated watermelon peels should be used in treating our wastewaters, for a cleaner and healthier environment.