Abstract

Suleman Shahzad*, Noman Shahzad, Atif Yaqub, Umair Sadiq, Usman Ahmad and Mudassar Hussain

ABSTRACT

The understanding is on the rise that accumulations of heavy metal pollutants in the environment, being added by industrial effluents, have altered geochemistry of water and soil as well as adversely affected the inhabiting fauna and flora. Simultaneously emerged has urgent need to develop effective technologies to reduce load of these hazardous wastes from the environment. Recently, biosorption has come up as effective tool in which biomass of various organisms have been tested. In the present study, the biosorptive potential of shell biomass of cylindrical paper shell mussel (Anodontoides ferussacianus) has been investigated for removal of toxic heavy metals, such as Pb (II) ions. Maximum removal was found to be 200 mg/L for both Pb (II). Various physico-chemical factors have been optimized for biosorptive capacities of sorbates by sorbents. Optimum pH was found to be 6 and optimum temperature was 30oC for Pb (II). Optimum and biomass concentration was 15 mg/L in case of the metal ions. Various adsorption models were elucidated to data, such as Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms whereas Freundlich model was found to be fittest showing multilayer sorption. Pseudo-second order kinetic model was also found to fit for this study with regression coefficient value of 0.99. Additionally, Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopic studies (FTIR) indicated various electronegative functional groups on the surface of the shell of A. ferussacianus which could possibly offer the binding sites for cations under investigation.