Elimination of Zinc Ions (Zn+2) from Synthetic Wastewater Using Lemon Peels

Abstract

The major objective of this research was to study the susceptibility of an agro-waste type to treat wastewater polluted by zinc ions. The feasibility as an adsorbent was determined by the batch unit. Operating parameters studied included the pH, agitation speed, zinc initial concentration, adsorbent dose and contact time. The adsorption kinetic and isothermal studies were investigated using pseudo first order and pseudo second order kinetic models, Langmuir and Freundlich models, respectively. The maximum efficiency of adsorption was close to 93%. Langmuir isotherm and pseudo second order models were the best fit with practical data. The lemon peels proved to show outstanding efficiency as non-valuable, sustainable, and excellent alternative media to recover heavy metals from polluted solutions by accessing the concept of zero residues level (ZRL).