Tagetes Minuta Residue as Biosorbent for Removal of Pb(II) from Water

Environmental pollution associated with heavy metal contaminated wastewater due to rapid industrialization and urbanization is a global concern. Especially, heavy metal contamination in aqueous bodies is a major ecological problem as they get bioaccumulated are carcinogenic. Lead (Pb) also is one of the carcinogenic metal present in wastewater. The long exposure of Pb(II) through the food chain beyond the limit results in severe health damage and is harmful to the environment. Therefore, various conventional treatment methods have been used to minimize the water pollution due to heavy metals. Among these various methods, the adsorption is considered as the most successful method for separation of Pb(II) from wastewater because it is easy in operation, inexpensive and highly efficient as compared with other methods. The aim of the present study is to assess the potential of Tagetes minuta residue (TMR) which is generated from the Tagetes minuta plant after essential oil extraction for removal of Pb(II) using the adsorption method. The adsorption influenced parameters such as dose (0.8 g), pH value (5.0) and contact time (60 min) were optimized. The adsorption capacity of TMR was found to be 29 mg g(-1) using Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Results followed pseudo-second order kinetics for adsorption of Pd(II) onto TMR. The regeneration efficiency of TMR was found constant up to four cycles with removal efficiency in the range of 89 to 57%. Thus, TMR can be an efficient and cost-effective option for the treatment of water contaminated with Pb(II) ions.