The The Removal of Some Heavy Metals (Ni, Cu & Fe) from Palm Oil Mill Effluents Using Schiff Base from Sugarcane Bagasse

Abstract

The disposal of palm oil mill effluent (POME) poses a significant environmental problem due to its high heavy metals content. Conventional methods (such as membrane filtration and ion exchange) for the removal of heavy metals from POME are often expensive and not environmentally friendly. This study investigated the use of Schiff base from sugarcane bagasse, a waste product of the sugar industry, as a low-cost adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals such as nickel (Ni), copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) from POME obtained from Nigerian Institute for Oilpalm Research at Ovia in Edo state, Nigeria. Schiff base, a type of organic ligand, was prepared from sugarcane bagasse through the condensation of the hydroxyl groups of sugarcane bagasse with NaOH and HCl then grafting it to a primary amine (L-lysine). The prepared Schiff base was then used as an adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals from POME. The batch adsorption process was studied under various conditions, such as pH, adsorbent dose and contact time to optimize the removal efficiency using Response Surface methodology (RSM). The results of this study shows that the prepared Schiff base was highly effective in removing heavy metals from POME, with up to 98.72% removal efficiency for Ni, 92.29% for Cu, and 71.81% for Fe