Removal of heavy metal ions such as, cadmium ion (Cd 2+) and lead ion (Pb 2+) from aqueous solution onto Eichhornia (water hyacinth) activated carbon (EAC) by physiochemical activation with potassium hydroxide (KOH) and carbon dioxide (CO2) as the activating agents were investigated. The Eichhornia activated carbon was characterized by Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques. Whereas, the effect of adsorbent dosage, contact time of pH, and metal ion concentration on the adsorption process have been investigated using the batch process technique. The kinetic data of the adsorption were fitted with the pseudo-first order and, pseudo-second-order models as well as Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The results were found to be well fitted with pseudo-second-order and Freundlich models. The results also reveal that activated carbon derived from Eichhornia was an efficient adsorbent for the adsorptive removal of heavy metal ions from solutions whereas, the maximum sorption capacities of the Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ ions were detected as 102 and 49.5 (mg/g), respectively.

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