Comparative and competitive adsorption of Cu(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) onto Sepia pharaonis endoskeleton biomass from aqueous solutions

In this research, the possibility of simultaneous removal of lead, cadmium and copper divalent ions from water samples through the use of Sepia pharaonis endoskeleton powder (SPEB) as bio-material, was investigated. The bio-sorbent was characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The different factors affecting the bio-sorption process were studied. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were applied to analyse the experimental data. The kinetic studies showed that the pseudo-second order model kinetics were compatible with the investigated systems. It was found that under optimal conditions, this bio-sorbent was efficient in the uptake of these heavy metal ions from both mono and multi-metal solutions, and high removal percentages were achieved. This study verified the potential ability of SPEB as an efficient natural adsorbent for removal of Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) ions from river, tap and mineral water samples.