Using Sawdust as a Sustainable Adsorbent for Removing Toxic Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solution

The study investigated the use of white poplar wood sawdust as a sustainable and cost-effective adsorbent for removing toxic thallium ions from aqueous solutions. The experiments demonstrated a maximum thallium removal efficiency of 92.12% under optimal conditions: pH 6, contact time of 150 minutes, agitation speed of 450 rpm, initial thallium concentration of 90 ppm, temperature of 25°C, and sawdust dosage of 6 g. The adsorption process was confirmed by FTIR and SEM tests, which identified functional groups like -OH and -COOH on the sawdust responsible for adsorption. The adsorption followed Langmuir and intra-particle diffusion models, with thermodynamic parameters indicating a spontaneous and exothermic process. The findings suggest that raw wood shavings can effectively remove thallium ions from contaminated water.