Sludge ash for the remediation of water laden with CU(II) and PB(II)

Abstract

Heavy metals are considered as the major contributor in water pollution, where 70- 80% of the illnesses in the developing countries are the result of water contamination. The environmental considerations and increasing costs associated with the use of commercial adsorbent have led to a significant body of research work aimed at manufacturing the low cost adsorbents based on the renewable resources for the remediation of water laden with heavy metals. A promising candidate under this category is the sludge ash of palm oil mill effluent. A number of ash based adsorbents have been tested for the adsorption of heavy metals and organic pollutants from aqueous solution. The selection of ash as potential adsorbent is due to the presence of some minerals such as iron, silica and aluminium which could contributed to the metal ions extraction. This chapter discusses the characteristics and adsorptive properties of sludge ash adsorbent as a promising candidate for heavy metals removal from water.