Adsorption of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions by activated carbon prepared from apricot stone

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2005-09, Vol.96 (13), p.1518-1521
• Main Authors: Kobya, M., Demirbas, E., Senturk, E., Ince, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: activated carbon; adsorbents; Adsorption; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Apricot stone; apricots; Aqueous solution; aqueous solutions; Biological and medical sciences; cadmium; Charcoal - chemistry; chromium; cobalt; copper; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Heavy metals; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; lead; Metals, Heavy - chemistry; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; nickel; Prunus; seeds; Seeds - chemistry; Seeds - ultrastructure; Spectrophotometry, Atomic; Sulfuric Acids; Use of agricultural and forest wastes. Biomass use, bioconversion; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; waste utilization; wastewater treatment; Water Pollutants, Chemical
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2004.12.005

Apricot stones were carbonised and activated after treatment with sulphuric acid (1:1) at 200 °C for 24 h. The ability of the activated carbon to remove Ni(II), Co(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), Cr(III) and Cr(VI) ions from aqueous solutions by adsorption was investigated. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to observe the effect of pH (1–6) on the activated carbon. The adsorptions of these metals were found to be dependent on solution pH. Highest adsorption occurred at 1–2 for Cr(VI) and 3–6 for the rest of the metal ions, respectively. Adsorption capacities for the metal ions were obtained in the descending order of Cr(VI) > Cd(II) > Co(II) > Cr(III) > Ni(II) > Cu(II) > Pb(II) for the activated carbon prepared from apricot stone (ASAC).