Application of Cotton Stalk as an Adsorbent for Copper(II) Ions in Sustainable Wastewater Treatment

Mary Triny Beleño Cabarcas, Ricardo Torres Ramos (), Benjamín Valdez Salas, Daniel González Mendoza, Aurelia Mendoza Gómez, Mario Alberto Curiel Álvarez and Jonathan Rafael Castillo Sáenz ()
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Mary Triny Beleño Cabarcas: Instituto de Ciencias Agrícolas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali 21705, Baja California, Mexico
Ricardo Torres Ramos: Instituto de Ciencias Agrícolas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali 21705, Baja California, Mexico
Benjamín Valdez Salas: Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali 21280, Baja California, Mexico
Daniel González Mendoza: Instituto de Ciencias Agrícolas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali 21705, Baja California, Mexico
Aurelia Mendoza Gómez: Instituto de Ciencias Agrícolas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali 21705, Baja California, Mexico
Mario Alberto Curiel Álvarez: Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali 21280, Baja California, Mexico
Jonathan Rafael Castillo Sáenz: Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali 21280, Baja California, Mexico

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 10, 1-20

Abstract: The capacity of untreated cotton stalk to remove and adsorb Cu 2+ ions in synthetic and natural aqueous solutions was evaluated. The influence of three sensitive parameters of the adsorption process—solution pH, adsorbent dosage, and contact time—on the percentage of Cu 2+ removal in agricultural wastewater, livestock wastewater, and synthetic samples was studied. Physicochemical and morphological properties were studied using thermogravimetry, Fourier infrared spectrophotometry, and scanning electron microscopy. The elemental composition, proximal composition, zero charge point, and acid–base sites were determined. In addition, kinetic studies were performed, and the adsorption equilibrium was analyzed. The optimum conditions for Cu 2+ adsorption were the following: solution pH = 5.5, adsorbent dosage of 0.6 g, and contact time of 60 min. Under these conditions, the percentage of Cu 2+ removal in synthetic samples was 66.5% when the initial copper concentration was 50 mg/L. The removal percentage in agricultural and livestock wastewater samples was 87.60% and 85.05%, respectively, when the initial copper concentration was 25 mg/L. The adsorption data are consistent with the Freundlich isotherm model, which achieved a quadratic fit of 0.991 compared to 0.5542 for the Langmuir model. The experimental results indicate that the adsorption adequately fits the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The results suggest that cotton stalks are a promising adsorbent for the ecological and economical removal of Cu 2+ in wastewater. This research, therefore, provides relevant information that contributes to the sustainable management of agricultural waste and instills hope for a reduction in water pollution from heavy metals derived from agricultural activities.

Keywords: adsorption; sustainable wastewater treatment; copper ion pollution; sustainable cotton stalk management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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