Removal of Cadmium from Aqueous Solution using Wheat Stem, Corncob, and Rice Husk

Three kinds of agricultural by-products, wheat stem, corncob, and rice husk, were tested as biosorbents for cadmium removal from aqueous solution. The study was focused on the evaluation and comparison of the potential of the agriculture by-products as biosorbents of cadmium with the sorption isotherms determination. The impact of solution pH and kinetic study was also discussed. The result indicated that cadmium removal was strongly dependent on solution pH and the optimum pH range is 4.5 similar to 6.0. The sorption process was fast, and the sorption equilibrium can be attained within 60 min. The kinetic process fit well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. For the three kinds of biosorbents, the initial sorption rate as well as the maximum sorption capacity q(max) calculated from the Langmuir isotherm equation showed the following tendency: rice husk > wheat stem > corncob. The maximum sorption capacity of the three kinds of biosorbents enhanced after being base treated, especially for wheat stem and corncob. This study indicated that wheat stem, corncob, and rice husk displayed the potential to be used as biosorbents for cadmium removal from aqueous solution.