Bio-sorption of As(V) from Aqueous Solutions by Thuja Occidentalis Leaves Activated Carbon@Al Embedded Material

In the current work, Thuja Occidentalis leaves carbon blended with Alumnium (TOLC@Al) was chosen as a precursor material for the As(V) adsorption from an aqueous solution. The parameters which influence the adsorption strength viz., pH, TOLC@Al dosage, contact period and initial arsenic concentration were studied. Characterization studies such as FTIR and SEM were performed to know surface morphology. The results demonstrate that TOLC@Al has a potential for the adsorption of arsenic ions (94.1% removal efficiency) at pH 6.00 under room temperature. Langmuir adsorption isotherm (R2= 0.9953) displayed the best fit.The maximum adsorption capacity (Qm) was obtained as 24.44 mg g-1 and adsorption favors uni-layered uptake. Kinetic study demonstrated that the pseudo-second-order model (R2= 0.9959) is the better fit and adsorption takes place through chemisorption. Regeneration studies reveal that the adsorbent is regenerated using sodium hydroxide solution and is reused for the adsorption of As(V). Higher absorption of As(V) ions was recorded with the TOLC@Al when compared to some other standard/ commercial adsorbents. Hence, TOLC@Al adsorbent can be a better material for As(V) ion removal.