Column adsorption of cadmium (II) and lead (II) using rice husks and mango peels

KATRINA BIANCA T. BANDIOLA, JOSUA JAMES ANGELO Y. GALOTERA, JENN CHRISTEL C. SAMPIANO, and HAROLD P. MEDIODIA

Philippine Science High School – Western Visayas Campus, Brgy. Bito-on, Jaro, Iloilo City 5000, Department of Science and Technology, Philippines

Abstract

Cadmium(II) and lead(II) are commonly found in industrial wastewaters and have negative effects to the body and the environment with prolonged exposure. Conventional methods to remove these metals are costly and inefficient. An alternative method that is more economical is through adsorption, specifically through the use of fruit and vegetable peels. The adsorption efficiencies of a multi-adsorbent column setup composed of rice husk and mango peels, and single-adsorbent columns individually composed of rice husk and mango peels were determined and compared in the removal of cadmium and lead. The heavy metal solution with an initial concentration of 10 mg/L and 30 mg/L for lead and cadmium, respectively, and a pH of 6.0, was tested on the adsorbent column with a bed height of 15cm and a flow rate of ~10mL/min. It was determined that the combination setup had the lowest adsorption efficiency out of all three setups. This was attributed to a reduction on the masses of the adsorbents to control the bed height variable. The single adsorbent column achieved the higher adsorption efficiency with rice husk at 94.661% for lead and the mango peel column at 80.860% for cadmium.

Keywords: bed height, column adsorption, heavy metals, multi-adsorbent setup, agricultural wastes

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