Removal of heavy metals chromium, lead, and iron from water and wastewater using MnFe2O4 loaded on activated carbon prepared from algae: kinetic and equilibrium study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Social Factors of Health Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.

2 Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.

3 Department of Chemistry, National University of Skills (NUS), Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated the efficiency of Flamintus algae combined with MnFe₂O₄ as a natural adsorbent for removing heavy metals from water and wastewater under laboratory conditions.
 
Method: The research assessed the impact of adsorbent dosage, contact time, pH levels, and varying heavy metal concentrations on adsorption efficiency. Results were analyzed using Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms, as well as pseudo-first and second-order kinetic models, with linear regression and R2 parameters for validation.
 
Results: The findings demonstrated that increasing the adsorbent dosage to 2 grams in 50 milliliters at a concentration of 30 milligrams led to a 50% increase in removal efficiency. The adsorption capacity rose from 25 to 50% when the initial pH was raised from 2 to 12.
 
Conclusions: The data indicated that removal efficiency improved with longer contact times but decreased with higher initial heavy metal concentrations. The Langmuir isotherm and the pseudo-quadratic kinetic model showed better agreement with the experimental data

Keywords

References

Irannejad, M., Soleimanpour, M., & Kamran Haghighi, H. (2019). Studies on the adsorption and kinetics of heavy metal removal by zeolite activated with manganese dioxide. Modern Processes in Materials Engineering, 13(1), 1-11. (In Persian) https://sid. r/paper/172671/fa
Scanlon, B., Keese, K., Flint, A., Flint, L., Gaye, C., Edmunds, W., & Simmers, I. (2006). Global synthesis ofgroundwater recharge in semiarid and arid regions. Hydrol. Process, 20(15), 3335–3370. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.6335
Bagri, F., Hassani, A., Jarrah, A., & Parnianchi, F. (2024). Highly effective elimination of tetracycline and ciprofloxacin antibiotics from synthetic wastewater by novel magnetic P2W18O62/MIL-101 (Fe)/NiFe2O4 nanocomposite. Separation and Purification Technology, 329, 125128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2023.125128
Behbudi, G., & Shayesteh, K. (2020). Heavy Metal Removal Methods from Water and Wastewater: A Review Study. 2, 145-160. (In Persian)                                    https://jreh.mums.ac.ir/article_16647.html
Corbett, J. F. (1972). Pseudo first-order kinetics. Journal of Chemical Education, 49(10), 663. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed049p663
Deng, H., Li, X., Peng, Q., Wang, X., Chen, J., & Li, Y. (2005). Monodisperse magnetic single‐crystal ferrite microspheres. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 44(18), 2782-2785. https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.200462551
Fomina, M., & Gadd, G. M. (2014). Biosorption: current perspectives on concept, definition and application. Bioresource Technology, 160, 3-14                                  . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2013.12.102
Gupta, N., Kushwaha, A. K., & Chattopadhyaya, M. (2012). Adsorptive removal of Pb2+, Co2+ and Ni2+ by hydroxyapatite/chitosan composite from aqueous solution. Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers, 43(1), 125-131                             . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2011.07.009
Hughes, J., Cowper-Heays, K., Olesson, E., Bell, R., & Stroombergen, A. (2021). Impacts and implications of climate change on wastewater systems: A New Zealand perspective. Climate Risk Management, 31, 100262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2020.100262
Irannajad, M., & Haghighi, H. K. (2017). Removal of Co2+, Ni2+, and Pb2+ by manganese oxide-coated zeolite: equilibrium, thermodynamics, and kinetics studies. Clays and Clay Minerals, 65(1), 52-62. https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.2016.064049
Lellis, B., Fávaro-Polonio, C. Z., Pamphile, J. A., & Polonio, J. C. (2019). Effects of textile dyes on health and the environment and bioremediation potential of living organisms. Biotechnology Research and Innovation, 3(2), 275-290                           . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biori.2019.09.001
Palani, G., Arputhalatha, A., Kannan, K., Lakkaboyana, S. K., Hanafiah, M. M., Kumar, V., & Marella, R. K. (2021). Current trends in the application of nanomaterials for the removal of pollutants from industrial wastewater treatment—a review. Molecules, 26(9), 2799. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26092799
Saleh, T., Mustaqeem, M., & Khaled, M. (2021). Water treatment technologies in removing heavy metal ions from wastewater: A review. Environ Nanatechnol Monit Manage 17,100617. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enmm.2021.100617
Topare, N. S., & Wadgaonkar, V. S. (2023). A review on application of low-cost adsorbents for heavy metals removal from wastewater. Materials Today: Proceedings, 77, 8-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2022.08.450
Wang, Y., Cao, J., Biswas, A., Fang, W., & Chen, L. (2024). Acid mine wastewater treatment: A scientometrics review. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 57, 104713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2023.104713
Zhao, F., Zou, Y., Lv, X., Liang, H., Jia, Q., & Ning, W. (2015). Synthesis of CoFe2O4–zeolite materials and application to the adsorption of gallium and indium. Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data, 60(5), 1338-1344. https://doi.org/10.1021/je501039u
Advanced Technologies in Water Efficiency
Volume 6, Issue 1
February 2026
Pages 65-79

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 06 December 2024
  • Revise Date: 13 April 2025
  • Accept Date: 01 July 2025

Share

How to cite

Statistics