Removal of Pb(II) and Cd(II) by Biomass Derived from Broadleaf Cattail and Water Hyacinth

The potential of cattail (Typha latifolia) and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) biomass to remove Pb and Cd ions from metal solutions was determined. The removal efficiency of Pb and Cd decreased with the increase in the initial concentration of metal aqueous solution but increased with the increased biomass doses. The biosorption was unaffected by the increase in pH from 5.0 to 6.5. Metal removal efficiency increased with increased contact time and then reached equilibrium in about 45 min. Higher qmax (the Langmuir model) and KF (the Freundlich constant) suggest that both cattail and water hyacinth biomass have a greater affinity for Pb(II) than Cd(II). The better fitness of the adsorption kinetics in the pseudo-second-order model than in the pseudo-first-order model indicates that biomass has an inclination toward chemisorption. The present study showed that cattail and water hyacinth biomass are promising biosorbents that provide a green, practical, and cheap solution to household water filtering systems in rural communities