Chromium (VI) and lead (II) adsorption using Mangifera kemanga leaves

Abstract This work reports the use of Mangifera kemanga leaves (MKL) treated with ethanol and nitric acid as an adsorbent to remove Cr(VI) and Pb(II) ions at different pHs, adsorbent dosages, times, initial metal ion concentrations, and temperatures. The MKL's maximum adsorption capacity was 213 mg/g for Cr(VI) at pH 2 and 89 mg/g for Pb(II) at pH 6. Batch experiments showed that MKL follows the Langmuir isotherm model in absorbing Cr(VI) and Pb(II). The Cr(VI) and Pb(II) adsorption kinetics are best suited by the pseudo-second-order kinetics model. Thermodynamic data studies indicated that surface complexation coexisted with ion exchange as the preliminary removal means. The results implied that MKL could potentially remove Cr(VI) and Pb(II).