A comparative study for removal of cadmium(II) ions using unmodified and NTA-modified charcoal powder.

Release of cadmium, a non-essential and highly toxic heavy metal, into aquatic ecosystem through discharge of effluents from various industries such as electroplating, photographic, steel/iron production and tanneries, is of considerable environmental conern at global level. Hence, it is essential to develop economic methods to remove cadmium from industrial effluents before their discharge into water bodies. The aim of present study was to explore the efficiency of Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) for the surface modification of charcoal powder (DCP) and application of both unmodified DCP and NTA modified DCP (NTA-MDCP) as adsorbents to remove cadmium (II) ions from aqueous solution.

Charcoal: An Efficient Adsorbent for Removal of Cu (II) Ions from Aqueous Solution and its Applicability in the Reduction of Genotoxic Potential of Cu (II) Ions.

The present study pertains to evaluate the efficiency of charcoal powder as an adsorbent to adsorb copper ions from aqueous solution under different conditions of pH, initial metal ion concentration, adsorbent dose, contact time, and temperature. Physical characterization of charcoal powder was performed using different techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Brunauer Emmett and Teller surface analysis and X-ray diffraction. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherm models were employed to describe the adsorption behavior of adsorbent in the removal of copper ions from aqueous solution.

Sorption technique as a tool for reduction of genotoxicity.

In the present study, the root chromosomal aberration assay was used to determine the genotoxic effects of copper and cadmium ions solutions before and after sorption processes. The sorption process was carried out using unmodified charcoal powder, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-modified charcoal powder, and The frequency of total chromosomal aberrations was observed to be 24.30-45.