Dendrocalamus asper bamboo chemical activation followed by pyrolysis applied as biochar to Cd(II) and Pb(II) adsorption

Abstract

Industrial development has contributed to heavy metals, a main environmental pollutant, being present in most effluents. These elements are extremely toxic and persistent, representing a serious threat to human health if left untreated. An effective alternative for the removal of metals from water is the adsorption technique using activated carbon. Activated carbon can have many sources. In this work, bamboo was tested as a raw material, recognizing its high growth rate, large biomass production, porous structure, and low cost compared to commercial activated carbon. This work aimed to evaluate the use of the bamboo species Dendrocalamus asper in the production of activated biochar and its respective application as an adsorbent. Cd and Pb were adsorbed in a chemical followed by pyrolysis-activated biochar produced from bamboo, characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, BET N2 physisorption, and its zero charge potential. The adsorption capability (qe) was 21.77 and 29.53 mg g-1 for Cd and Pb, respectively, isolated ions for a biochar of a 14.3 m2.g-1 surface area. For combined ions, the qe was 8.04 and 10.54 mg g-1 for Cd and Pb, which indicates competitive adsorption with the blocking of adsorption sites.