Synthesis of A New Cysteine Containing Adsorbent and Removal of Pb(II) and Hg(II) Ions From Aqueous Media

The heavy metal pollution in aqueous media can cause very important problems for living life. Compared to many organic pollutants, they can cause irreversible damages in terms of environmental health because they are more stable in aqueous environment and accumulate in biological environments. Developing and rising industrial production generates many heavy metals as waste, and their uncontrolled discharge causes a decrease in the clean water resources. Therefore, removal of heavy metals from aqueous environments is a crucial issue for all living species. In this work, a new adsorbent was synthesized by modification of 3-aminopropylsilica with cysteine and characterized. The adsorption capacity of this adsorbent was investigated for Pb (II) and Hg (II) ions. Optimum conditions (contact time, pH) for maximum adsorption were determined. The maximum adsorption capacity in 60 minutes at pH 6 for Pb (II) and Hg (II) ions were determined such as 12.32 ± 0.2 and 100.6 ± 0.2 mg g-1, respectively