Heavy metals leaching of active carbon from sewage sludge modified by chitosan for dye wastewater treatment

Heavy metal leaching limits activated carbon from sewage sludge (referred as ACS) to be used for wastewater treatment. Cr and Cd leaching from ACS exceed the permitted values. The leaching content of Cr and Cd decrease much with depositing ACS with chitosan (CS),below the permitted values. This is mainly due to the bind of Cr and Cd with the much group -NH2 of CS. The effects of initial dye concentration, pH and contact time had been studied. The dye adsorbed can act as a supple complexion agent with increasing initial dye concentration, increase the affinity for Cr and Cd. For Cd, the amount leaching of CS/ACS or ACS remains content with pH. The amount leaching of Cr decreases when the pH from 1 to 5 and then increases above the pH of 6.0. The contact time has no important influence on the leaching contents of Cr or Cd.