Potential of Using Bladderwort as a Biosorbent to Remove Zinc in Wastewater

摘要

Biosorption of zinc ion by non-living macrophytes, Utricularia aurea (U. aurea) is one of the common suspended aquatic species in Asia. The percentage of zinc removal was identified by conducting experiment under batch studies. In this study, the pH used ranged from pH 2, 4, 7, and 9, the time contact were 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes while the biosorbent sample size ranged from 150 μm, 300 μm, 450 μm and 600 μm at an agitation speed of 125 rpm. From the result, the best size sample for zinc removal was 450 μm with pH 4 at 120 minutes of contact time. The zinc ion was efficiently removed at 87%. Atomic Adsorption Spectrometer (AAS) was used to analyze the heavy metal removal. The result is then compared with the Environment Quality Act 1974 whether the biosorbent is efficient in removing zinc in wastewater treatment plant.