Optimization and adsorption modeling of lead ions (II) on carbonaceous materials: Comparative evaluation of raw and citric acid-modified commercial activated carbon and tea waste derived biochar
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31699/IJCPE.2026.1.11Keywords:
Lead Ions (II) Removal; Adsorption; Commercial Activated Carbon; Isotherms and kinetics; Tea Waste Derived Biochar; Citric Acid ModificationAbstract
The article investigated the effectiveness of removal (R%) of a batch study in the removal of lead (II) ions from synthetic aqueous water. A number of experiments were performed to determine the optimal parameters for the maximum removal procedure by using commercial activated carbon. The primary process variables studied included initial lead (II) ions concentration (pb (II)), pH, adsorbent particle size, dosage of adsorbent, and adsorption time.
The maximum removal occurred at an initial pb (II) ions concentration of 10 ppm, a pH of 5, an adsorbent dosage of 0.3 g with a particle size of 75 µm, and an adsorption time of 75 min. This research employed isotherm models to determine how the system reached a stable state. Langmuir model confirmed the largest accuracy, as evidenced by the results with a correlation coefficient (R²) of about 97.91%. The kinetic data was the most accurately described by pseudo-second-order model (PSO), suggesting that chemisorption is the limiting factor in the reaction rate, which was supported by a correlation coefficient of 99.5%. Four different adsorbent materials were investigated to evaluate their lead ions (II) removal %: commercial activated carbon (CAC), tea waste-derived biochar (TWDB), and CAC and TWDB modified with citric acid (CAC-CA and TWDB-CA). The study demonstrated that these four adsorbents were very effective and inexpensive agricultural waste may serve as an efficient method to remove pb (II) ions from contaminant water.
Received on 09/02/2026
Received in Revised Form on 12/03/2026
Accepted on 14/03/2026
Published on 30/03/2026
References
[1] M. Jaishankar, T. Tseten, N. Anbalagan, B. B. Mathew, and K. N. Beeregowda, “Toxicity, mechanism and health effects of some heavy metals,” Interdisciplinary Toxicology, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 60–72, Jun. 2014, https://doi.org/10.2478/intox-2014-0009
[2] World Health Organization, Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, 4th ed., Geneva, Switzerland: WHO Press, 2017 (updated 2022).
[3] United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Lead and Copper Rule,” Washington, DC, USA, 2022.
[4] I. R. Chowdhury, S. Chowdhury, M. A. J. Mazumder, and A. Al-Ahmed, “Removal of lead ions (Pb2+) from water and wastewater: a review on the low-cost adsorbents,” Applied Water Science, vol. 12, no. 8, p. 185, Jun. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-022-01703-6
[5] F. Fu and Q. Wang, “Removal of heavy metal ions from wastewaters: A review,” Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 92, no. 3, pp. 407–418, Dec. 2011, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.11.011
[6] M. Gęca, M. Wiśniewska, and P. Nowicki, “Biochars and activated carbons as adsorbents of inorganic and organic compounds from multicomponent systems – A review,” Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, vol. 305, p. 102687, May 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cis.2022.102687
[7] J. Lach and E. Okoniewska, “Equilibrium, Kinetic, and Diffusion Mechanism of lead (II) and cadmium (II) Adsorption onto Commercial Activated Carbons,” Molecules, vol. 29, no. 11, p. 2418, May 2024, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29112418
[8] S. Iijima, “Helical microtubules of graphitic carbon,” Nature, vol. 354, no. 6348, pp. 56–58, Nov. 1991, https://doi.org/10.1038/354056a0
[9] V. K. Gupta, S. Agarwal, and T. A. Saleh, “Chromium removal by combining the magnetic properties of iron oxide with adsorption properties of carbon nanotubes,” Water Research, vol. 45, no. 6, pp. 2207–2212, Jan. 2011, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2011.01.012
[10] M. Karnib, A. Kabbani, H. Holail, and Z. Olama, “Heavy metals removal using activated carbon, silica and silica activated carbon composite,” Energy Procedia, vol. 50, pp. 113–120, Jan. 2014, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2014.06.014
[11] Y. Xu et al., “Study on Efficient adsorption mechanism of PB2+ by Magnetic Coconut Biochar,” International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 23, no. 22, p. 14053, Nov. 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214053
[12] S. H. Khazaal, F. Al-Sheikh, and M. Al-Ameri, “Using activated carbon to adsorb Co (II) from synthetic solution: Isotherms and optimization studies,” AIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 2670, p. 060017, Jan. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0095860
[13] M. H. Ullah and M. J. Rahman, “Adsorptive removal of toxic heavy metals from wastewater using water hyacinth and its biochar: A review,” Heliyon, vol. 10, no. 17, p. e36869, Aug. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36869
[14] S. W. Shakir et al., “Examination and Improvement of the Taguchi-Based Nanofluids Impact on CO2 Absorption using Al2O3 Nanoparticles,” Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences, vol. 120, no. 1, pp. 204–216, Aug. 2024, https://doi.org/10.37934/arfmts.120.1.204216
[15] D. Laishram, S. Kim, S. Lee, and S. Park, “Advancements in Biochar as a sustainable adsorbent for water pollution mitigation,” Advanced Science, vol. 12, no. 19, p. e2410383, Apr. 2025, https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202410383
[16] S. H. Dhobi, D. Neupane, S. Koirala, and D. D. Mulmi, “Waste tea as absorbent for removal of heavy metal present in contaminated water,” Heliyon, vol. 10, no. 21, p. e39519, Oct. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39519
[17] M. K. Rajput, R. Hazarika, and D. Sarma, “Zerovalent iron decorated tea waste derived porous biochar [ZVI@TBC] as an efficient adsorbent for Cd(II) and Cr(VI) removal,” Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, vol. 11, no. 4, p. 110279, Jun. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2023.110279
[18] Y. Liu, L. Zhang, Z. Zhang, Y. Zhang, and Y. Guan, “Citrate-modified biochar for simultaneous and efficient plant-available silicon release and copper adsorption: Performance and mechanisms,” Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 301, p. 113819, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113819
[19] A. Ekanayake, A. U. Rajapaksha, M. Ahmad, and M. Vithanage, “Enhanced Adsorption of Hexavalent Chromium from Aqueous Solution by Citric Acid-Modified Biochar from Invasive Plant Biomass,” Water Air & Soil Pollution, vol. 234, no. 7, Jul. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-023-06456-9
[20] B. Haider et al., “Adsorptive removal of lead from wastewater using press mud with evaluation of kinetics and adsorption isotherms,” Scientific Reports, vol. 15, no. 1, p. 22823, Jul. 2025, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05169-9
[21] N. Jawad and T. M. Naife, “Mathematical Modeling and Kinetics of Removing Metal Ions from Industrial Wastewater,” Iraqi Journal of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 59–69, 2022, https://doi.org/10.31699/IJCPE.2022.4.8
[22] S. M. Al-Jubouri, H. A. Al-Jendeel, S. A. Rashid, and S. Al-Batty, “Green synthesis of porous carbon cross-linked Y zeolite nanocrystals material and its performance for adsorptive removal of a methyl violet dye from water,” Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, vol. 356, p. 112587, Apr. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micromeso.2023.112587
[23] M. S. Abdulrahman, A. A. Alsarayreh, S. K. A. Barno, M. A. Abd Elkawi, and A. S. Abbas, “Activated carbon from sugarcane as an efficient adsorbent for phenol from petroleum refinery wastewater: Equilibrium, kinetic, and thermodynamic study,” Open Engineering, vol. 13, no. 1, June 2023, https://doi.org/10.1515/eng-2022-0442
[24] T. R. Sahoo and B. Prelot, "Adsorption processes for the removal of contaminants from wastewater: The perspective role of nanomaterials and nanotechnology," Nanomaterials for the Detection and Removal of Wastewater Pollutants, 1st ed., Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier Inc., Jun. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818489-9.00007-4
[25] M. Erdem, S. Ucar, S. Karagöz, and T. Tay, "Removal of Lead (II) Ions from Aqueous Solutions onto Activated Carbon Derived from Waste Biomass," The Scientific World Journal, vol. 2013, Article ID 146092, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/146092
[26] A. A. Alghamdi, A. B. Al-Odayni, W. S. Saeed, A. Al-Kahtani, F. A. Alharthi, and T. Aouak, "Efficient Adsorption of Lead (II) from Aqueous Phase Solutions Using Polypyrrole-Based Activated Carbon," Materials (Basel), vol. 12, no. 12, p. 2020, Jun. 2019, https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12122020
[27] M. Erdem, S. Ucar, S. Karagöz, and T. Tay, “Removal of Lead (II) Ions from Aqueous Solutions onto Activated Carbon Derived from Waste Biomass,” The Scientific World JOURNAL, vol. 2013, no. 1, p. 146092, Jan. 2013, https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/146092
[28] A. M. Youssef, A. I. Ahmed, M. I. Amin, and U. A. El-Banna, "Adsorption of lead by activated carbon developed from rice husk," Desalination and Water Treatment, vol. 54, no. 6, pp. 1694–1707, May 2015, https://doi.org/10.1080/19443994.2014.896289
[29] M. Erdem, S. Ucar, S. Karagöz, and T. Tay, "Removal of Lead (II) Ions from Aqueous Solutions onto Activated Carbon Derived from Waste Biomass," The Scientific World Journal, vol. 2013, Article ID 146092, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/146092
[30] J. Lach and E. Okoniewska, "Equilibrium, Kinetic, and Diffusion Mechanism of Lead(II) and Cadmium(II) Adsorption onto Commercial Activated Carbons," Molecules, vol. 29, no. 11, p. 2418, May 2024, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29112418
[31] J. P. Chen, S. Wu, and K.-H. Chong, “Surface modification of a granular activated carbon by citric acid for enhancement of copper adsorption,” Carbon, vol. 41, no. 10, pp. 1979–1986, Jan. 2003, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0008-6223(03)00197-0
[32] S. Liu et al., “High‐efficiency adsorption of various heavy metals by tea residue biochar loaded with nanoscale zero‐valent iron,” Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, vol. 40, no. 6, Jun. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1002/ep.13706
[33] M. Zabiszak, M. Nowak, K. Taras-Goslinska, M. T. Kaczmarek, Z. Hnatejko, and R. Jastrzab, “Carboxyl groups of citric acid in the process of complex formation with bivalent and trivalent metal ions in biological systems,” Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, vol. 182, pp. 37–47, Feb. 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2018.01.017
[34] R. Janu et al., “Biochar surface functional groups as affected by biomass feedstock, biochar composition and pyrolysis temperature,” Carbon Resources Conversion, vol. 4, pp. 36–46, Jan. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crcon.2021.01.003
[35] Z. Shen, Y. Zhang, F. Jin, O. McMillan, and A. Al-Tabbaa, “Qualitative and quantitative characterization of adsorption mechanisms of lead on four biochars,” The Science of the Total Environment, vol. 609, pp. 1401–1410, Aug. 2017, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.027
[36] U. S. Rashid and A. N. Bezbaruah, “Citric acid modified granular activated carbon for enhanced defluorination,” Chemosphere, vol. 252, p. 126639, Mar. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126639
[37] C.-Y. Kuo, C.-H. Wu, and M.-J. Chen, “Adsorption of lead ions from aqueous solutions by citric acid-modified celluloses,” Desalination and Water Treatment, vol. 55, no. 5, pp. 1264–1270, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1080/19443994.2014.926460
[38] P. M. Godwin, Y. Pan, H. Xiao, and M. T. Afzal, “Progress in preparation and application of modified biochar for improving heavy metal ion removal from wastewater,” Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 31–42, Feb. 2019, https://doi.org/10.21967/jbb.v4i1.180
[39] A. Tiwari and M. Chinthala, “Tea waste to biochar: A comparative analysis of conventional and microwave-assisted pyrolysis methods,” Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, vol. 192, p. 107320, Aug. 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2025.107320
[40] A. Gunjal, “Kinetics study for the removal of heavy metals by the agroindustry by-products,” Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy, vol. 87, no. 1, pp. 57–62, Mar. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1007/s43538-021-00005-w
[41] I. M. Raimondi, V. G. S. Rodrigues, J. Z. Lima, J. P. Marques, and L. A. A. Vaz, “The potential use of Pressmud as reactive material for CD2+ removal: adsorption equilibrium, kinetics, desorption, and bioaccessibility,” Water Air & Soil Pollution, vol. 231, no. 7, Jul. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04746-0
[42] I. M. Raimondi, E. M. Vieira, L. a. A. Vaz, and V. G. S. Rodrigues, “Comparison of sugarcane pressmud with traditional low-cost materials for adsorption of lead and zinc in mining areas,” International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, vol. 19, no. 6, pp. 4627–4644, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-021-03420-0
[43] D. L. Gómez-Aguilar, J. P. Rodríguez-Miranda, D. Baracaldo-Guzmán, O. J. Salcedo-Parra, and J. A. Esteban-Muñoz, “Biosorption of PB(II) using coffee pulp as a sustainable alternative for wastewater treatment,” Applied Sciences, vol. 11, no. 13, p. 6066, Jun. 2021, https://doi.org/10.3390/app11136066
[44] I. Abdelfattah, A. A. Ismail, F. A. Sayed, A. Almedolab, and K. M. Aboelghait, “Biosorption of heavy metals ions in real industrial wastewater using peanut husk as efficient and cost-effective adsorbent,” Environmental Nanotechnology Monitoring & Management, vol. 6, pp. 176–183, Oct. 2016, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enmm.2016.10.007
[45] Y. Bulut and Z. Tez, “Removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution by sawdust adsorption,” Journal of Environmental Sciences, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 160–166, Feb. 2007, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1001-0742(07)60026-6
[46] S. Boddu, A. Chandra, and A. A. Khan, “Biosorption of Cu(II), Pb(II) from electroplating industry effluents by treated shrimp shell,” Materials Today Proceedings, vol. 57, pp. 1520–1527, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.12.052
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 The Author(s). Published by College of Engineering, University of Baghdad.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.







