(480b) Electro-Enhanced Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous Solutions By Capacitive Deionization Process Using Biochar-Based Electrodes

The increased level of heavy metal contamination in wastewater is a major concern due to its potential impacts on human health and the environment. Most heavy metal ions are highly persistent environmental pollutants and exhibit carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Therefore, it is imperative to develop efficient methods to eliminate heavy metal ions from wastewater before being discharged into the environment. Among various available wastewater treatment methods, capacitive deionization (CDI) has received great attention lately due to its energy-efficient, low cost, and environment-friendly technology. The CDI process is based on the electrosorption or polarization-induced adsorption of ions on the surface of porous electrodes. The surface area and chemistry of the electrode material used in the CDI process are the key parameters that control the removal of ions via electrosorption. In this study, activated biochar-based electrodes were used to study their efficiency towards the removal of heavy metal ions (Pb²⁺ and Co²⁺) from aqueous solutions. The morphological, structural, and electrochemical properties of prepared biochars were characterized by using BET surface area and pore size distribution analyzer, FTIR, SEM, Raman spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and others. The kinetics of heavy metal ion removal was studied using different models to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the electrosorption of metal ions on the electrode surface. The effect of applied electric voltage, pH, and concentration of the metal ion solution on the electrosorption performance of the electrodes was also determined.