Covalent Functionalization of Cellulose Filter Paper with Activated Carbon and Its Application in Removing Heavy Metals (Pb, Cd, Ni) from Drinking Water

Document Type : Original Article

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Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran

Abstract

The removal of heavy metals such as nickel, lead, and cadmium is crucial due to their harmful effects on ecosystems. These toxic metals can disrupt physiological processes in plants, affecting transpiration, photosynthesis, enzyme activity, and hormonal balance. Nanofiltration membranes with pore sizes of 1–10 nm selectively remove heavy metal ions while preserving essential minerals and nutrients. In this research, covalently functionalized cellulose filter paper with activated carbon (FP@Si@AC) was used to effectively remove heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Ni) from drinking water. The adsorption was carried out under mild conditions, at ambient temperature, and at neutral pH for 3-5 hours. Under these conditions, the highest adsorption rate was related to Pb, and Cd and Ni were the next highest adsorption percentages. Studies on the adsorption isotherms showed that the adsorption of Pb best fits the Langmuir isotherm, and the nickel and cadmium metals follow both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. Examining the adsorption mechanism showed that the adsorption takes place both through coordination with the groups on activated carbon and through physical adsorption. FP@Si@AC filter paper can be recovered and reused several times without any significant loss of adsorption activity.

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Applied Chemistry Today
Volume 20, Issue 74
in progress ...
January 2025
Pages 113-138

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