Biosorption of artocarpus heterophyllus (jackfruits) leaf powder in aqueous solutions

Abstract

Water pollution is a major global problem in which water is contaminated with harmful matters mainly from industries especially heavy metals. Dyes and heavy metal is a most common toxic pollutant produced by industries. Adsorption technique can be used in wastewater treatments to eliminate them using plant materials such as jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) leaf powder. This study was conducted to evaluate the adsorption capacity of jackfruit leaf powder (JLP) for the removal of Methylene Blue (MB), Lead (Pb), Copper (Cu) and Cadmium (Cd) as types of harmful wastes. JLP was prepared to gain adsorbent in the range of 200 – 400 µm. Adsorption studies involved parameters of adsorbent mass, pH, concentration and contact time. The amount of MB, Pb, Cu and Cd adsorbed per unit weight of the adsorbent increased with the increase of pH, initial concentration and contact time indicates that JLP can be used as excellent low-cost adsorbent in which the adsorption was highly pH dependent. The adsorption capacity, qt was decreased with an increasing adsorbent mass because a fixed mass of JLP can only adsorb a certain amount of adsorbates. Langmuir and Freudlich isotherm explained best that JLP could remove MB and Pb significantly thus qmax for MB and Pb were 21.74 mg/g and 8.77mg/g respectively. The characterisation of JLP was recorded by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), BET surface area and functional groups that present on the JLP surface was determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Functional groups of phenols, alcohols, alkanes, alkenes, amines, nitro, esters and ethers were responsible as active sites for adsorption process. Although the physical characteristics of the JLP did not show significant differences, the performance of JLP were varied independently.