Isothermal and Batch Adsorption Studies of the Use of Borassus Aethiopium and Cocos Nucifera for Wastewater Treatment
Adie D.B, Okuofu C.A, Osakwe C

Abstract
The study was aimed at comparing the adsorption of heavy metal ions (Pb2+ and Cd2+) using activated carbon from Borassus aethiopum (seed shells) and Cocos nucifera (shells). Borassus aethiopum seed shells (BASS) and Cocos nucifera shells (CONS) collected within Zaria and its environs were crushed into particle size of about 300-450μm and used as adsorbents for wastewater. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were used to represent experimental data. Both models were found to fit well based on the high values of the coefficient of regression R2. The monolayer adsorption capacity, Qo for Pb (II) was found to be 12.19 mg/g and 24.39 mg/g and 10.20 mg/g and 25.797 mg/g for Cd (II) for activated BASS and CONS respectively. The suitability of the Pseudo-first and second order kinetic models for the sorption of Pb2+/Cd2+ onto activated BASS/CONS was also examined. The Pseudo-second order kinetic model provided best correlation and was found to be more statistically significant than the Pseudo-first order kinetic model. In conclusion, it was established that activated CONS had a higher monolayer adsorption capacity for Pb2+/Cd2+ than activated BASS.

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