Removal of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solution by Fly Ash

The present work investigates the possible use of fly ash for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Batch experiments were conducted and the influences of metal concentration, pH, and fly ash concentration were investigated. Heavy metals used in these studies were zinc, lead and cadmium. Adsorption studies were done over a range of pH values (3-10) at $25^{\circ}C$ and heavy metal concentrations of 10-400 mg/L using fly ash concentrations of 10, 20 and 40 g/L. Experiments were also conducted without fly ash to determine the extent of heavy metal removal by precipitation. Kinetic and equilibrium experiments were performed and adsorption data were correlated with both Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models. The results indicate that fly ash can be used as an adsorbent for heavy metals in the aqueous solutions, yet the degree of removal depends on the pH.