Adsorptive Removal of Copper (II) Ions from Aqueous Solution Using pumice

Abstract

This article presents the use of modified pumice as an environmentally friendly adsorbent for copper (II) removal from wastewater. The water pollution by toxic elements is a major concern for human health and environmental quality. New and cheaper methods of wastewater treatment are increasing the quality of the environment and reducing negative impacts on fauna, flora, and human beings. The sorption technique is considered a cost-effective method for effectively removing heavy metals. In recent years, there have been increasing studies dedicated to using low-cost adsorbents such as pumice. For the study, Kuchak pumice has been used. The modified pumice was prepared by surface modification with polysiloxane, evaluated by studying the effects of pH, contact time, dosage, and initial concentration, and was optimized in batch processing mode. The chemical changes in pumice were fully characterized using FT-IR techniques. Overall, these results suggest that surface-modified pumice is a low-cost adsorbent for the removal of copper (II).