The limited effectiveness of conventional wastewater treatment plants has contributed to the persistent contamination of surface waters by toxic heavy metal ions. Composite membranes have garnered increasing attention for their potential in heavy metals removal from industrial discharges. This study explores the application of innovative activated carbon/polyethersulfone (PES) membranes to enhance lead (Pb2+) removal from industrially contaminated water. A preliminary batch mode study reveals that the lead adsorption mechanism onto synthesized activated carbon derived from olive pomace (OPAC) is best described by the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics. The composite membranes were fabricated by incorporating different amounts of low-cost OPAC using the phase inversion technique. SEM-EDX analyses, water contact angle, porosity, and mechanical property measurements were performed. Filtration performance was investigated in continuous mode at a TMP of 10 bar. Increasing the weight ratio of OPAC in PES membranes significantly improved water permeability up to 2.16 times that of the unmodified membrane mainly due to enhanced membrane hydrophilicity (contact angle 57°), a larger mean pore size of 9.53 nm, and increased overall porosity (77.58 %). The M2 membrane (with 0.25 wt% OPAC) produced high-quality permeate, achieving 97 % lead removal efficiency from the model solution, while also exhibiting improved mechanical strength. In particular, the elastic modulus (Emod) increased by 82.5 %, while the elongation at break (Ebreak) improved by 53.4 %. The best-performing membrane (M2) reduced lead in Hamdoun stream effluent below regulatory limits, showing that the composite membranes provide an effective and eco-friendly solution for lead-contaminated industrial wastewater.
Olive waste-derived activated carbon embedded in polymeric membranes for sustainable lead removal from industrially contaminated stream water
Bhattacharyya S.;Cozzolino V.;Limonti C.;Siciliano A.;
2026-01-01
Abstract
The limited effectiveness of conventional wastewater treatment plants has contributed to the persistent contamination of surface waters by toxic heavy metal ions. Composite membranes have garnered increasing attention for their potential in heavy metals removal from industrial discharges. This study explores the application of innovative activated carbon/polyethersulfone (PES) membranes to enhance lead (Pb2+) removal from industrially contaminated water. A preliminary batch mode study reveals that the lead adsorption mechanism onto synthesized activated carbon derived from olive pomace (OPAC) is best described by the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics. The composite membranes were fabricated by incorporating different amounts of low-cost OPAC using the phase inversion technique. SEM-EDX analyses, water contact angle, porosity, and mechanical property measurements were performed. Filtration performance was investigated in continuous mode at a TMP of 10 bar. Increasing the weight ratio of OPAC in PES membranes significantly improved water permeability up to 2.16 times that of the unmodified membrane mainly due to enhanced membrane hydrophilicity (contact angle 57°), a larger mean pore size of 9.53 nm, and increased overall porosity (77.58 %). The M2 membrane (with 0.25 wt% OPAC) produced high-quality permeate, achieving 97 % lead removal efficiency from the model solution, while also exhibiting improved mechanical strength. In particular, the elastic modulus (Emod) increased by 82.5 %, while the elongation at break (Ebreak) improved by 53.4 %. The best-performing membrane (M2) reduced lead in Hamdoun stream effluent below regulatory limits, showing that the composite membranes provide an effective and eco-friendly solution for lead-contaminated industrial wastewater.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
