Author(s)

Bindra Shrestha, Jagjit Kour, Puspa Lal Homagai, Megh Raj Pokhrel, Kedar Nath Ghimire

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Central Department of Chemistry, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.

The surface of a biowaste was modified by introduction of amino group for the purification of wastewater contaminated with heavy metals. In this study waste tea leaf was used as a biowaste which was an economic and efficient bioadsorbent. The aminated tea leaves were characterized by spectral and elemental analysis. The adsorption capacity of the surface modified biosorbent was studied as the function of solution pH, concentration of metal ions and contact time of adsorption. The applicability of Langmuir isotherm was tested. The adsorption capacities were found to be 83.04 mg/g and 57 mg/g for Pb (II) and Cd (II), respectively. The biosorbent was regenerated by desorption of the metal loaded adsorbent with 0.1 M HNO₃. These results showed that the aminated tea leaves may be an attractive alternative for treatment of wastewater contaminated with heavy metals.

Bioadsorbent; Heavy Metals; Wastewater; Amination; Langmuir Isotherm

Shrestha, B. , Kour, J. , Homagai, P. , Pokhrel, M. and Ghimire, K. (2013) Surface Modification of the Biowaste for Purification of Wastewater Contaminated with Toxic Heavy Metals—Lead and Cadmium. Advances in Chemical Engineering and Science, 3, 178-184. doi: 10.4236/aces.2013.33022.