title: Effect of pH on lead removal from water using tree fern as the sorbent.
abstract: The sorption of lead from water onto an agricultural by-product, tree fern, was examined as a function of pH. The sorption processes were carried out using an agitated and baffled system. Pseudo-second-order kinetic analyses were performed to determine the rate constant of sorption, the equilibrium sorption capacity, and the initial sorption rate. Application of the pseudo-second-order kinetics model produced very high coefficients of determination. Results showed the efficiency of tree fern as a sorbent for lead. The optimum pH for lead removal was between 4 and 7, with pH 4.9 resulting in better lead removal. Ion exchange occurred in the initial reaction period. In addition, a relation between the change in the solution hydrogen ion concentration and equilibrium capacity was developed and is presented.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 11014, Taiwan. ysho@tmu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Yuh-Shan
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D029624:Ferns; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D007854:Lead / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000378:metabolism*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D007854:Lead