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. 2022 Oct 22;12(1):17766.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-22466-9.

The efficiency of removing heavy metal ions from industrial electropolishing wastewater using natural materials

S Charazińska  1 , E Burszta-Adamiak  1 , P Lochyński  2
Affiliations

The efficiency of removing heavy metal ions from industrial electropolishing wastewater using natural materials

S Charazińska et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Heavy metals are present in wastewater generated by industrial sectors, posing a threat to the environment, including surface and groundwater resources. With this in mind, there is a growing interest in finding alternative yet effective methods of removing heavy metal ions from industrial wastewater. Sorption is one of the techniques being readily applied due to the simplicity, high efficiency, production of small amounts of sludge, low investment, and the feasibility of the process over a wide range of pH and temperature. This paper deals with the treatment of industrial wastewater from electropolishing of stainless steel containing high concentrations of metal ions Fe(III), Cr(III), Ni(II), and Cu(II). Taking into account the effectiveness, availability and applicability of biosorbents for acidic wastewater, orange peels, algae, Eclipta alba, and eggshells were selected for the study. Sorption tests were carried out for Eclipta alba and the results obtained showed a best fit for the second-order kinetic model (R2 > 0.99) and the Langmuir isotherm model (R2 > 0.99). Maximum adsorption capacity was 17.92 mg/g for mixture of metal ions. The potential use of dried and calcinated eggshells was established. Both materials achieved a high removal rate of over 95%. Iron and chromium are removed from the solution first (about 100% and 90%, respectively), followed by nickel and copper ions. FT-IR and SEM with EDS measurements used to characterize materials, together with laboratory tests using real industrial effluent, made it possible to determine their mechanism of action. Specific surface area was determined for all tested materials and the values were: 1.63, 0.15 and 5.15 m2/g for Eclipta alba, dried eggshells and calcinated eggshells, respectively. The results provide grounds for optimism in the application of selected materials for industrial wastewater treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors of manuscript declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pseudo-second order kinetic model for Eclipta alba powder.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Isotherm models for biosorption onto Eclipta alba powder.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Removal percentage of metal ions from industrial solution at different initial concentrations of Eclipta alba powder.
Figure 4
Figure 4
FT-IR spectra and SEM with EDS images of Eclipta alba powder before and after sorption.
Figure 5
Figure 5
FT-IR spectra of dried eggshells and calcinated eggshells in comparison to CaCO3, Ca(OH)2 and CaO.
Figure 6
Figure 6
FT-IR spectra and SEM with EDS images of dried eggshells before and after sorption.
Figure 7
Figure 7
FT-IR spectra and SEM with EDS images of calcinated eggshells before and after sorption.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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