Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology 6(22): 4237-4246, 2013
ISSN: 2040-7459; e-ISSN: 2040-7467
© Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2013
Submitted: February 15, 2013 Accepted: March 11, 2013 Published: December 05, 2013
Corresponding Author: Firas Saeed, Environmental Engineering Department, College of Engineering, The University of
Mustansiriyah, Baghdad, Iraq
4237
The Predisposition of Iraqi Rice Husk to Remove Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions
and Capitalized from Waste Residue
Mohammed Nsaif and Firas Saeed
Environmental Engineering Department, College of Engineering, the University of Mustansiriyah,
Baghdad, Iraq
Abstract: This study is deal with study the potential of Iraqi Rice Husk (IRH) on the removal of three heavy metals
pollutant which were (Mg, Mn and Mo) ions from industrial wastewater using different design parameters by
adsorption process. Results show that the removal efficiency were (93.95, 97.18 and 95.26) % for heavy metal (Mg,
Mn and Mo) respectively from aquatic solution decreased with increasing of initial concentration and flow rate
while the removal efficiency increased with increasing absorbance material bed height, pH and feeding temperature.
Statistical model is achieved to find an expression relates the overall operating parameters with the removal
efficiency for each metal ions used in this investigation in a general equation (each one alone). The samples of
(IRH) remaining after using it in the removal of (Mg, Mn and Mo) heavy metal ions above from Simulated
Synthetic Aqueous Solutions (SSAS) to investigate the capitalized of it in different methods. Different benefits
possess which are: remove the three toxic heavy metals ions contaminated the water, get rid of agricultural waste
(IRH), in the same time, produce light and more benefit hydrocarbons from n-heptane isomerization using a type Y-
zeolite catalyst synthesis from remaining (IRH) and prepare a cheap and active rodenticide.
Keywords: Aqueous solution and wastewater, catalyst, heavy metal, residue, rice husk, type-Y zeolite
INTRODUCTION
The greater environmental awareness in both the
public and regulatory sphere in recent year has
necessitated greater treatment of industrial effluent
(Townsed, 2001). The interest has been increased in
recent years over the discharge of pollutants from
industrial wastewater to reach the standard values of
these pollutants before their discharge to the aquatic
system (like river) or to the sewer network. In the field
of environmental pollution, there are few subjects that,
during the latest years, have developed as rapidly as the
study of toxic metals (Bhattacharya and Venkobachar,
1984). According to the World Health Organization
(WHO), the metals of most immediate concern are Al,
Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb (Baig et al.,
2005). It is apparent that the presence of a toxic metal
may not represent a hazard if a threshold exists below
which there are no observable effects. It should be
noted that certain heavy metals, including Al, Cu, Cd,
Fe, Pb, Mn and Ni are essential or beneficial or harmful
in trace quantities (Kirk and Laster, 1984). The toxicity
of a given heavy metal depends on the total amount
ingested, pH of treated water as well as a number of
factors (Kasim, 1990). Heavy metal ions can came from
many sources like industrial and municipal wastewater
in the absence of the affective treatment, urban runoff,
rain water and agricultural fertilizer may be the most
important sources of heavy metals in aquatic
environment. A large number of different industries
produce effluents contaminated with heavy metal ions.
Industries such as minerals and metallurgical
processing, leather, textile, chemical manufacture,
metal finishing and many other industries produce
heavy metals in aqueous solution as waste (Townsed,
2001). In this study the adsorption of heavy metals
which are (Mg, Mn and Mo) using IRH was tested and
endeavour of capitalizing from the residue in a
convenient, economical way and ecofriendly.
EXPRIMENTAL WORK
Iraqi rice husk (adsorbent media): IRH was collected
from Al-Shanafia fields for rice in the Southern of Iraq.
The rice husk was washed three times with doubled
distilled water. Excess distilled water was used to
remove the soluble materials present in the rice husk
bringing from the field, boiled to remove colour and
other fine impurities may be found in the rice husk and
then dried at 105°C for 24 h and the adsorbent thus
processed was used in its original piece size. The
surface area of IRH was measured by BET (Brunauer-
Emmett-Teller nitrogen adsorption technique).
Characteristics of IRH were presented in Table 1. When