Industrial wastewater containing toxic heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and mercury (Hg) poses significant environmental and public health challenges due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. Conventional treatment methods often suffer from high operational costs, limited removal efficiency, and secondary pollution. This study investigates the effectiveness of four advanced adsorbent materials—biochar, graphene oxide, zeolites, and nanocomposites—for the removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. The research evaluates adsorption capacity, removal efficiency, adsorption kinetics, equilibrium behavior, regeneration potential, and economic feasibility of each material. Batch adsorption experiments are conducted under varying conditions of pH, contact time, initial metal concentration, and adsorbent dosage. The adsorption data are analyzed using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, while kinetic studies employ pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models. Results are expected to identify the most effective adsorbent material and provide insights into the mechanisms governing heavy metal adsorption. The findings will contribute to the development of sustainable and cost-effective wastewater treatment technologies for industrial applications.
Keywords: Biochar, Graphene Oxide, Zeolites, and Nanocomposites