Process Optimization and Biosorption of Lead Using Albizia Saman Leaf Powder

Abstract

Water pollution is one of the signs that humans have exceeded the limits and causing health problems for living beings on earth. The present paper comprises the optimization and biosorption of lead from aqueous solution using Albizia saman leaf powder as biosorbent. Single Step Optimization was considered for preliminary runs with the variables agitation time, biosorbent size, pH of the solution, initial concentration of the aqueous solution, dosage of biosorbent and temperature. The Central Composite Design (CCD) was used for final runs optimization using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Results indicated that the optimum agitation time for biosorption of lead is 50 min. The increase in mass of biosorbent lead to increase in lead (pb) ion biosorption due to the increase in the number of active biosorption sites. Maximum percentage biosorption is observed at a pH of 6 and with particle size of 53 µm. Experimental data were better described by pseudosecond-order model. The adsorption isotherm could be well fitted by the Langmuir equation followed by Freundlich and Temkin. Over and all, Albizia Saman leaf powder can be used as an effective natural biosorbent for the economic treatment of aqueous solutions containing lead.