Adsorption Kinetic and Equilibrium Studies on Removal of Lead(II) onto Glutamic Acid/Sepiolite

In this study, a modified method was used to increase the adsorption of lead ions from aqueous solutions by using modified clay mineral on the laboratory scale. Adsorption experiments have been carried out on the use of both thermal activated sepiolite (TAS) and their glutamate/sepiolite modification (GS) as adsorbents. The experimental data was analyzed using adsorption kinetic models (pseudo first‐ and second‐order equations). The pseudo second‐order kinetic model fitted well to the kinetic data (R² ≥ 0.99). Then, the Freundlich and Langmuir models were applied to describe the uptake of Pb(II) on GS and the Langmuir isotherm model agrees well with the equilibrium experimental data (R² ≥ 0.97). The maximum adsorption capacity was observed to be 128.205 mg/g by GS according to the Langmuir equation. Desorption efficiency of the GS was studied by the batch method using EDTA, HCl, and HNO₃ solutions. Desorption of 69.18, 74.55, and 80% of Pb(II) from GS was achieved with 0.1 M EDTA, 0.1 M HCl, and 0.1 M HNO₃ solutions, respectively. FTIR analysis suggests the importance of functional groups such as amino, hydroxyl, and carboxyl during Pb(II) removal. SEM observations demonstrated that an important interaction at the lead‐modified sepiolite interface occurred during the adsorption process. In addition, the thermodynamic constants was calculated that the values of the Gibbs free energy (ΔG*), enthalpy (ΔH*), and entropy (ΔS*) of modification were 86.79 kJ/mol, ?18.91 kJ/mol, and ?354.70 J/mol/K, respectively. The negative value of ΔH* shows exothermic nature of adsorption.     

Glutamic Acid Modified Fenton System for Degradation of BTEX Contamination

The present study employed a modified Fenton system that aims to extend the optimum pH range towards neutral conditions for studying the oxidation of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylenes (BTEX) using glutamic acid (Glu) as an iron chelator. Addition of 20 mM Glu greatly enhanced the oxidation rate of BTEX in modified Fenton system at pH 5–7. A rapid mass destruction (>97% after 1 h) of BTEX as a water contaminant carried out in the presence of 500 mM H₂O₂, 10 mM Fe²⁺, and 20 mM Glu at pH 5 could be shown. The efficiency of this modified Fenton's system for mass destruction of BTEX in contaminated water was measured to estimate the impact of the major process variables that include initial concentrations of soluble Fe, H₂O₂, Glu (as metal chelating agent), and reaction time.