Experimental evaluation of lead adsorption from aqueous solution using carbon nanostructures derived from municipal sewage sludge

This study aimed to synthesize a carbon nanomaterial (CNM) from municipal sewage sludge (MSS) via controlled pyrolysis followed by acid purification, and to evaluate its application for lead separation from water. The resulting CNM exhibited a regular crystalline structure, high porosity, and partic...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hamid Rajabi, Zahra Mohammadi, Fatemeh Erami, Seid Mahdi Jafari
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Results in Chemistry
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211715625005259
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Summary:This study aimed to synthesize a carbon nanomaterial (CNM) from municipal sewage sludge (MSS) via controlled pyrolysis followed by acid purification, and to evaluate its application for lead separation from water. The resulting CNM exhibited a regular crystalline structure, high porosity, and particle sizes ranging from 10 to 50 nm. Surface characterization revealed the presence of functional groups such as epoxy, hydroxyl, and carbon–carbon double bonds. Notably, the purification step significantly enhanced the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and porosity of the material by factors of 20 and 22.4, respectively. The CNM demonstrated excellent performance in lead removal under varying conditions of pH, stirring speed, initial lead concentration, and adsorbent dosage. Maximum removal efficiency (99.4 %) was achieved at pH 7, 200 rpm, 3 g/L adsorbent, and 10 ppm initial lead concentration. Thermodynamic analysis indicated an endothermic and spontaneous process. Kinetic modeling showed pseudo-first-order behavior at low lead concentrations and pseudo-second-order behavior at higher levels. Adsorption isotherms fit well with the Langmuir model, confirming monolayer, chemisorption-dominated uptake. Overall, the findings demonstrate that MSS-derived CNMs are not only effective in removing lead from water but also offer a scalable, low-cost solution for repurposing municipal waste into functional materials for real-world wastewater treatment applications.
ISSN:2211-7156