| Heavy metals receive particular concern considering their strong toxicity even at low concentrations, because one of the most important environmental issues today is ground water contamination and between the wide diversity of contaminants affecting water resources. The objective of this research was to determine the adsorptive capacity of banana peel from water containing traces of heavy metals using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES).;Banana peel, an agricultural waste residue was powdered and used as a biosorbent in tea bags. It is rich in pectin compared to sugar beets and low compared to citrus fruits which has a relatively high content of pectin. This pectin upon crystallization forms three-dimensional ring like structures which can easily entrap the metal ions. The effect of various parameters like pH, time, and initial metal concentration were observed. The adsorption was maximum after 15 minutes and equilibrium was achieved after 30-45 minutes. The removal efficiency was found to be maximum around a neutral pH. The banana peel was found to be effective in removal of heavy metals from water. It is a cost effective and efficient technique for the removal of heavy metals. |
