Evaluation of Lignocellulose Nanofiber Adsorbent Efficacy in Cu(II) Removal from Aqueous Solutions

Nowadays, rapid development of the chemical industry has brought about environmental pollution, a serious threat, as a result of the entry of organic and inorganic chemicals, as well as heavy metals. Surface absorption by the use of biological polymers is a novel environmentally friendly technology for reducing and removing heavy metals from industrial wastewater. The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of lignocellulose nanofiber (LCNFs) adsorbents in the removal of Cu(II) from aqueous media. The test conditions are considered for two completely identical adsorbents. In the batch system, parameters of pH (4-8), adsorbent dosage (0.1- 0.5 g/l), contact time (15-120 min), Cu(II) initial concentration (5-50 mg/l), and temperature (15-40 °C) were studied. The results were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Duncan's tests for significant evaluation of changes in parameters. Results showed that the highest percentage of removal of Cu(II) (99.8%.) for LCNFs at pH 7, Cu(II) concentration of 10 mg/l, adsorbent dosage of 0.3 g/l, contact time of 60 min at temperature of 25 °C was obtained. This study showed that LCNFs adsorbents are considered as an optimal adsorbent for removal Cu(II) by removing more than 98% of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions