Removal of Cd(II), Co(II), Cr(III), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) ions from wastewater using polyethyleneimine (PEI) cryogels
Özet
The removal of the target analytes, Cd(II), Co(II), Cr(III), Ni(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) from contaminated waters was
achieved using super porous polyethyleneimine (PEI) cryogels as adsorbent. The optimum values of the sample
pH and contact time were determined as 4.0 and 90 min, respectively, for the removal of the analytes. The
adsorption capacities of the sorbent were between 19.88 and 24.39 mgg− 1 from 10 mL of 50 mgL− 1 target metal
ion solutions. The sorption kinetics of metal ions were fitted with the pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption
isotherms of the target analytes into PEI cryogel were well-fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model as expected
from the material homogeneity. The selectivity of the PEI cryogel in the presence of Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, NO3
− , K+
and Cl− ions even at high concentrations was tested, and the tolerance limits were satisfactory enough, e.g., the
adsorption of the target analytes was even not affected in the presence of 2000 mgL− 1 Ca2+, K+, Na+, Cl− and
5000 mgL− 1 NO3
− ions. The PEI cryogels were successfully utilized in different industrial wastewater samples that
were spiked with a known amount of analytes. The removal of the analytes from wastewater samples was in the
following ranges 91.94–99.86% for Cd(II), 89.59–99.89% for Co(II), 80.35–99.76% for Cr(III), 92.02–99.84% for
Ni(II), 83.28–99.86% for Pb(II), and 82.94–98.24% for Zn(II), respectively. The presented novel removal strategy
offers a selective, efficient, and easy application for target metal ions from industrial wastewater samples.
