Environment and Ecology Research Vol. 11(5), pp. 792 - 803
DOI: 10.13189/eer.2023.110509
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Activation of Rice Husk Biochar Using Microwave Lemon Juice-Citric Acid for Lead and Mercury Adsorption from Aqueous Phase

Hassanatu Mohammed , Murjana Salifu , Abudu Ballu Duwiejuah , Joseph Payne ^*
Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, University for Development Studies, Ghana

ABSTRACT

This study sought to investigate the remediation of lead (Pb²⁺) and mercury (Hg²⁺) polluted water using microwave-irradiated rice husk biochar treated with lemon juice. A completely randomised design (CRD) was used to set up the experiment with four (4) treatments i.e., rice husk biochar (RHB), microwave-modified rice husk biochar (MRHB), lemon juice-citric acid modified rice husk biochar (LRHB), and microwave-lemon juice-citric acid modified rice husk biochar (MLRHB) in three replicates. The experiment was conducted in mono and binary systems where each metal and the simultaneous adsorption of Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺ were determined. The treatments were effective in the adsorption with an efficiency range of 81 to 93 and 91 to 99 percent for Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺, respectively under the mono system. Under the binary system, an adsorption efficiency of 66 to 84 and 90 to 99 percent were observed across the treatments for Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺. The experiment showed aqueous solution pH influenced the adsorption capacities of the various treatments under both mono and binary systems irrespective of the heavy metal present. A strong positive relationship with an adjusted R² value of 0.69 (mono system) and 0.89 (binary system) was observed between pH and adsorption. The experimental data fitted both the Langmuir and Freundlich models very well (0.95 < R² ≤ 1), and the R_L and 1/n values were found to be favourable (i.e. < 1). Therefore, any of the treatments used in this study can be a good adsorbent of lead and mercury that find their way into the aqueous environment.

KEYWORDS
Adsorption, Binary System, Good Adsorbent, Mercury, Microwave-Lemon Juice-Citric Acid Modified Rice Husk Biochar

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Hassanatu Mohammed , Murjana Salifu , Abudu Ballu Duwiejuah , Joseph Payne , "Activation of Rice Husk Biochar Using Microwave Lemon Juice-Citric Acid for Lead and Mercury Adsorption from Aqueous Phase," Environment and Ecology Research, Vol. 11, No. 5, pp. 792 - 803, 2023. DOI: 10.13189/eer.2023.110509.

(b). APA Format:
Hassanatu Mohammed , Murjana Salifu , Abudu Ballu Duwiejuah , Joseph Payne (2023). Activation of Rice Husk Biochar Using Microwave Lemon Juice-Citric Acid for Lead and Mercury Adsorption from Aqueous Phase. Environment and Ecology Research, 11(5), 792 - 803. DOI: 10.13189/eer.2023.110509.