Enhancing the adsorption of lead (II) by bentonite enriched with pH-adjusted meranti sawdust

Abstract

In recent years, the need for a safe and modern composite barrier for the prevention of groundwater contamination and the provision of geo-environmental protection has been studied together with the need of designing a low-cost and effective liner for isolating landfill contents from the environment. In this study, various mix designs involving two natural adsorbents, Na-bentonite the pH-adjusted sawdust, were prepared for a series of geo-environmental experiments to be carried out to determine the adsorption capacity, buffering capacity, pH changes, and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) changes among others, in the presence of Pb(NO₃)₂ contaminant concentrations. Generally, the results showed an increase in adsorption capacity in the acidic segment of the treatment. An increase of 58% of the adsorption efficiency of the Na-bentonite in adsorbing the contaminant at the highest concentration was the most important achievement of the system while in the acidic segment.