Comparative Study of Removal of Cadmium (II) and Chromium (III) Ions from Aqueous Solution Using Low-Cost Biosorbent

This study aims to evaluate the ability of abundant low-cost garden grass to remove cadmium and chromium ions from aqueous solutions. Batch biosorption studies were carried out to examine the biosorption capacity, pH value, temperature, agitation speed, and metal ions concentration. The biosorption process revealed that the garden grass was an effective biosorbent of cadmium and chromium. The maximum chromium and cadmium removal rate was 90 and 80% at pH 4, respectively. FTIR spectroscopy analysis showed that the hydroxyl, amine, and carboxyl groups were the major groups responsible for the biosorption process. The maximum biosorption capacity was 18.19 and 19.4 mg/g for cadmium and chromium, respectively. The biosorption isotherm data fitted well the Langmuir model. Kinetic data were adequately fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model.