USAGE OF WASTE ACTIVE SLUDGE OBTAINED FROM A MEMBRANE BIOREACTOR SYSTEM AS A LOWCOST BIOSORBENT FOR REMOVAL OF CU (II) IONS

Abstract

This study aims to suggest an inexpensive adsorbent. It is also planned to reuse the waste sludge of the membrane bioreactor (MBR) system. For this reason, copper biosorption capacity of waste sludge compost of fungal biomass from an MBR unit was investigated. The effects of pH (2, 4, 6, and 8), contact time (1- 24h), and Cu (II) concentration (9.74 to 98.21 mg/L) were tested at batch scale level experiments. To describe the equilibrium isotherms, the Langmuir and Freundlich models were used. Also, kinetic properties were determined as pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models. To determine the functional groups of adsorbent, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FTIR) analysis was done. The maximum Cu (II) removal was 89.65 % at pH 4. The maximum Cu (II) uptake capacity of adsorbent was found as 14.20 mg/g. The results of this study showed that the dried active sludge, a waste of MBR system, was an efficient and low-cost adsorbent for removal of Cu (II) from industrial effluents.