Activated carbon from Parthenium as adsorbent

Environmental contamination due to mercury (Hg) is a serious issue because once mercury enters into the food  chain of human or animal it is highly toxic. Various cost effective methods have been adopted to remove it from Water. Kadirvelu and others at Department of Environmental Science , PSG College , Coimbatore explored the feasibility of using Congress Grass , Parhenium hysterophours Linn. as raw material for preparation of activated carbon for the removal of Hg(II)

Activated carbon (AC) prepared from Parthenium  was used to remove Hg (II) from aqueous solution by adsorption technique under varying conditions , adsorbent dose and pH.Adsorption equilbrium reached within 165 min for all concentraitions studied (10 to 50 mg/L) Adsorption is dependents on solution pH, Hg (II)concentration carbon concentration and contact time. Adsorption followed both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, The adsorption capacity was found to be 10 mg/g of AC at initial pH of 5.0at 30+2 De.Cent. for the particle size of 125-250 um.

The percent removal increase with pH from 2to 6 and remained constant up to pH 10 (Kadirvelu et al , Indian J.Chem Tech ,2002,9, 499-503).

(Source:Natural Product Radiance,2:5.Sept.-Oct. 2003,p.268)

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