Removal of Cu(II) and Cr(VI) from wastewater by an amphoteric sorbent based on cellulose-rich biomass.

A cellulose-rich biomass was modified as a new amphoteric sorbent to eliminate toxic Cu(II) and Cr(VI) from wastewater. The product (WSCA, which stands for modified wheat straw containing both cationic and anionic characters) presents high sorption capacities for the two ions which was evidenced by the comparison with unmodified wheat and other similar samples. Kinetic data and sorption equilibrium isotherms were conducted in batch process. The sorption kinetic analysis revealed that sorption of Cu(II) and Cr(VI) followed the pseudo second-order model well during the whole sorption process. The linear Langmuir isotherm model could perfectly describe the equilibrium data for Cu(II), while the sorption data of Cr(VI) were well fitted by the Freundlich. Results of the static test illustrated the complicated interactions between Cr(VI)/Cu(II) and WSCA including complexation and/or electrostatic attraction mechanisms.