Title: Removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions by living and non-living cultured sludges: equilibrium modelling

Authors: Poh-Ying Chan; Si-Ling Ng; Chye-Eng Seng; Poh-Eng Lim

Addresses: School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia. ' School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia. ' School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia. ' School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia

Abstract: In this study, the removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions using living and non-living cultured sludges of different sludge ages was investigated. For non-living sludge, only the metabolism-independent bio-adsorption process occurred and Langmuir model was adequate to describe the adsorption isotherm. When living sludge was used as the adsorbent, a proposed model incorporating the bio-adsorption and bioaccumulation processes in sequence was found to fit better than the Langmuir model and provided a better interpretation of the metal uptake by living sludge. The bioaccumulation process was observed to be the predominant process in removing Cu(II) from the aqueous solutions.

Keywords: living sludge; non-living sludge; heavy metal removal; bioadsorption; bioaccumulation; equilibrium modelling; heavy metals; aqueous solutions; water pollution; environmental pollution.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2012.045148

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2012 Vol.15 No.1, pp.79 - 93

Received: 20 Dec 2010
Accepted: 13 Jun 2011

Published online: 17 Dec 2014 *

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