Peat characterization and adsorption selectivity between Chromium, Nickel, Copper and Cadmiumem

Abstract

 Increasing industrialization has generated an ever-increasing amount of wast and contaminants, especially in water. The growing demand for fresh water, which already exceed the estimates of availability, is compounded by the serious environmental threat posed by the contamination of water resources by potentially toxic metals, dyes and other chemicals. Adsorption is an efficient and cost-effective technique for removing contaminants from water. It consists of using adsorbent materials, such as peat, which have the ability to attract and retain pollutants on their surface. Peat, an organic material formed by the decomposition of plants in humid environments, has characteristics that make it an excellent adsorbent: high porosity, large surface area, and the presence of functional groups that bind to metals. The objective of this study was to characterize peat and evaluate its performance in the removal of different metals in a competitive system. The peat analyzed presented characteristics suitable for adsorption, such as high porosity and the presence of functional groups. The results showed that peat was highly efficient in the removal of all the metals studied, with an efficiency higher than 94%. The order of adsorption preference was cadmium > nickel ≈ chromium > copper.