Effect of Water Hardness on Adsorption of Lead from Aqueous Solution using Douglas Fir Biochar

Water pollution due to heavy metals can be hazardous to both the environment and human health. The aim of this research is to provide a low-cost alternative for lead remediation. Biochar was produced from the fast pyrolysis of Douglas fir (DBC). Magnetic biochar (MDBC) was synthesized by mixing aqueous biochar suspensions with an aqueous Fe3+/Fe2+ solution. In chapter I, an overview of lead as an emergent contaminant is given. Different biochar production techniques have been discussed along with different mechanism of adsorption of lead onto biochar. Chapter II is a study of adsorption of lead on DBC and MDBC under different experimental conditions. The main aim of this research is to study the effect of water hardness on adsorption capacity. Three levels of water hardness were employed. Sorption performances were evaluated using Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. DBC and MDBC were also successfully applied for lead removal from natural water samples. In chapter III, future projects focused on studying the effects of matrix chemicals found in natural waters on the heavy metal ion adsorption properties of biochar are discussed