Prediction of simultaneous adsorption of Cu(II) and Pb(II) onto activated carbon by conventional Langmuir type equations.

Removal of Cu(II) and Pb(II) by adsorption onto activated carbon was examined in single- and binary-component aqueous solutions representative of contaminated solutions containing heavy metals. Reversibility of adsorption of the heavy metals on the activated carbon was evaluated by desorption experiments. The number of the maximum adsorption sites and adsorption equilibrium constants of Cu(II) and Pb(II) were estimated by the results of single-component systems assuming the Langmuir adsorption model.