Removal of cadmium from aqueous solution by dried water hyacinth, (Eichhornia crassipes)

• Main Author: Puteri Emme Marina, Mohamad
• Format: Undergraduates Project Papers
• Language: English
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: SB Plant culture
• Online Access: http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/786/1/Puteri_Emme_Marina_Mohamad.pdf; http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/786/
• Institution: Universiti Malaysia Pahang

Water hyacinth (E. crassipes) approaches being a scourge in many parts of the world, choking waterways and hindering transport upon them. At the same time it is known to readily abstract heavy metal ions from water and, thus, aids in the removal of heavy metals found in such waters. This study considers the possibility of using dried parts of the plant as an inexpensive adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals from cadmium solution. Water hyacinth is dried and used as biosorbent as removal of cadmium in aqueous solution. Parameters that are used for these studies are dosage of biosorbent, contact time, pH and temperature. The analysis was done by using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy where initial concentration was 20 mg/L; the amount of biosorbent was from 0.4 to 4 g/L, pH range between 2 to 10, contact time between 10 until 50 min, and temperature range between 25 until 60 degree celcius. The best conditions were found to be biosorbent at dose of 2 g/L, pH of 7, and contact time of 40 min and 35oC for temperature. The results obtained show that the dried Water Hyacinth performed well for the removal of cadmium as heavy metals. As a low cost adsorbent, Water Hyacinth can preferable for removal of heavy metals from wastewaters.