Vermicompost as a natural adsorbent: evaluation of simultaneous metals (Pb, Cd) and tetracycline adsorption by sewage sludge-derived vermicompost.
The simultaneous adsorption of heavy metals (Pb, Cd) and organic pollutant (tetracycline (TC)) by a sewage sludge-derived vermicompost was investigated. The maximal adsorption capacity for Pb, Cd, and TC in a single adsorptive system calculated from Langmuir equation was 12.80, 85.20, and 42.94 mg L-1, while for mixed substances, the adsorption amount was 2.99, 13.46, and 20.89 mg L-1, respectively. The adsorption kinetics fitted well to the pseudo-second-order model, implying chemical interaction between adsorbates and functional groups, such as -COOH, -OH, -NH, and -CO, as well as the formation of organo-metal complexes. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area measurement were adopted to gain insight into the structural changes and a better understanding of the adsorption mechanism. The sewage sludge-derived vermicompost can be a low cost and environmental benign eco-material for high efficient wastewater remediation.
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, People's Republic of China.|Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410082, People's Republic of China.
Xin
X
He
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, People's Republic of China. zhang_yx@hnu.edu.cn.|Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410082, People's Republic of China. zhang_yx@hnu.edu.cn.
Yaxin
Y
Zhang
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, People's Republic of China.|Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410082, People's Republic of China.
Maocai
M
Shen
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, People's Republic of China.|Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410082, People's Republic of China.
Ye
Y
Tian
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, People's Republic of China.|Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410082, People's Republic of China.
Kaixuan
K
Zheng
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, People's Republic of China.|Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410082, People's Republic of China.
Guangming
G
Zeng
D000327:Adsorption; D000818:Animals; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002104:Cadmium / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D007854:Lead / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009835:Oligochaeta; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D012987:Soil; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
D012722:Sewage; D012987:Soil; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D013752:Tetracycline
Adsorption; Characterization; Heavy metal; Tetracycline; Vermicompost