The present research was conducted to study the
column mode (down flow and up flow) of
Aspergillus niger
decomposed
Citrus limetta
peels powder for desalinating
Cd
2+ and Pb
2+ from synthetic and paint industrial wastewater.
The batch mode was carried out to optimize pH,
contact time, initial metal ion concentration and adsorbent
doses. The column studies (both down flow and up flow)
were performed with paint manufacturing industrial wastewater
at optimized conditions. The percentage removal,
metal uptake capacity and exhaustion time of the column in
up flow mode were found to be far better as compared to
down flow mode. The value of metal uptake capacity for
Cd
2+ and Pb
2+ was achieved to be 722 and 596 mg g
-1 at
pH 5.0 and 6.0, respectively, in the first cycle using Thomas
model. The comparison of adsorption in single- and multimetal
ion systems showed that
A. niger decomposed
C. limetta peels powder have an excellent potential for the
removal metal ions from industrial effluents.
