Evaluation of <i>Dacryodes edulis</i> (native pear) seed biomass for Pb (II) sorption from aqueous solution

Abstract

Dacryodes edulis (Native pear) seed is herein evaluated as a promising biomass for Pb(II) removal from aqueous solution. The Pb(II) adsorption onto Dacryodes edulis seed biomass was influenced by the solution pH, time, biomass dose and initial adsorbate concentration. The Freundlich model fitted better than the Langmuir model which also gave a good fit when the experimental data were represented on both isotherm models. The kinetic data clearly established the pseudo – second order model as a more appropriate model for describing the Pb(II) ion sorption onto pulverized seed of Dacryodes edulis. This investigation shows that at pH 5, biomass concentration, 50 mg/L; temperature 28 ^oC and contact time 90 minutes, a Langmuir monolayer adsorption capacity of 10.42 mg/g was obtained. This is an indication that the native peer seed is an efficient biosorbent for Pb(II) ions removal from aqueous environment.

Keywords: Dacryodes edulis, kinetics, isotherms, uptake and adsorption efficiency