Assessment of the Detoxification Potential of Modified Biochar from Annona senegalensis Stem Bark on Cr6+ and Cu2+ in Aqueous Solution: An Equilibrium, Kinetic and Thermodynamic Studies

Background: Environmental contamination of the air, water, soil, and food has become a threat to the continued existence of many plant and animal communities in the ecosystem. The chemically activated stem bark of Anonna senegalensis was examined for equilibrium sorption. Methods: This study aimed to assess the adsorption of Cr6+ and Cu2+ onto Annona senegalensis carbon (ASC) according to the following parameters: pH, solution temperature, starting metal ion concentration, agitation duration, dose of adsorbent, particle size, and carbonization temperature using a simultaneous batch adsorption method. Pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, intra-particle diffusion kinetic, Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models were all fitted using the equilibrium sorption data that were produced. Thermodynamic parameters of the adsorption studies were also evaluated. Results: The physicochemical analysis of ASC showed ash content of 7.21 ± 0.02%, moisture content of 11.73 ± 0.29%, and porosity of 0.99 ± 0.08 with bulk density of 0.18 g/cm3. The heavy metalloaded scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrograph showed a filled pit, and the XRD diffractogram, as well as FTIR spectra, revealed peaks that were different from the raw spectra, implying functionalization. The sorption data gave optimum conditions of the adsorption process to be pH of 6, agitation time of 88 minutes, adsorbent dose of 2.5 g/g, initial metal ion concentration of 5 mg/L, temperature of 30°C, particle size of 0.154 mm and carbonization temperature of 400°C. Conclusion: The Langmuir isotherm was found to give the best-fit conformation of all the models based on superior R2 (R2 ≥0.99). Dubinin-Radushkevich proved the mechanism to be physisorption. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model best fits the data with R2 of 0.998 and 0.986 for Cr6+ and Cu2+. Thermodynamic results of the study revealed that ΔHᵒ for Cr6+ and Cu2+ were 32.78 and 27.14 KJ/mol and are all positive, implying an endothermic process and confirming the physisorption mechanism. The entropy change, ΔSᵒ, was also positive, revealing a high degree of disorderliness at the sorbate/sorbent interphase. The standard Gibbs free energy, ΔGᵒ, were all negative, showing spontaneity and feasibility.