INVESTIGATION OF LEAD (PB) ADSORPTION BY CHEMICALLY ACTIVATED NIPAH FROND (NYPA FRUTICANS) POWDER

Abstract

Nypa fruticans, commonly known as the Nipa palm, is a palm species that thrives along brackish coastlines in swampy areas, covering a significant portion of Indonesia's tidal regions. With its abundant cellulose (35.1%), lignin (17.8%), and ash (11.7%) content, the Nipa palm presents promising potential as a biosorbent for heavy metal removal from liquid waste. This study explores the viability of utilizing Nipa palm as an eco-friendly and cost-effective adsorbent material for heavy metal remediation. The growing environmental concern over heavy metal pollution, which poses serious health risks to living organisms, calls for effective and efficient remediation methods. Adsorption, among various heavy metal removal techniques, emerges as the most commonly employed method due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and efficacy. Activated carbon, derived from various sources including plants and carbonaceous minerals, is widely used as an adsorbent material. In this context, the research aims to synthesize and characterize activated carbon using HCl as an activator from the Nypa palm fruit shell (Nypa fruticans). The study investigates the adsorption capacity of this activated carbon in removing mercury (Hg) levels from water bodies. The environmental concern primarily arises from the escalating waste production, especially from mining, industrial processes, and transportation, leading to the introduction of substantial metal pollutants into the environment. Industrial sectors, in particular, generate a significant amount of waste containing various metal compounds and elements throughout their production processes. As a result, heavy metal pollution in the environment has become increasingly severe, necessitating urgent and effective remediation strategies. In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to optimize the adsorption of Pb2+ ions onto activated carbon derived from rice husk in a fixed bed column. The research explores the properties of Nypa fruticans, specifically its palm leaf sheath, as a biosorbent for lowering mercury (Hg) levels in water bodies. This investigation provides valuable insights into the potential large-scale utilization of Nypa palm as an eco-friendly biosorbent for heavy metal removal, offering a sustainable solution to tackle the rising environmental challenge of heavy metal pollution