Sawmill Residue Valorization as Adsorbent for Cd2+ from Aqueous Solution

Authors

  • Ali El-Rayyes Center for Scientific Research and Entrepreneurship, Northern Border University, Arar 73213, Saudi Arabia; Chemistry Department, College of Science, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia
  • Ibrahim Arogundade Department of Chemical Sciences, Mountain Top University, Ogun State, Nigeria
  • Ezekiel Folorunsho Sodiya Department of Chemical Sciences, Mountain Top University, Ogun State, Nigeria
  • Edwin Andrew Ofudje Department of Chemical Sciences, Mountain Top University, Ogun State, Nigeria
  • Moamen S. Refat, Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
  • Amnah Mohammed Alsuhaibani Department of Sports Health, College of Sport Sciences & Physical Activity, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
  • James Asamu Akande Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State, Nigeria

Keywords:

Adsorbent, Biochar, Pollution, Sawmill waste, Valorization

Abstract

Raw sawmill wood adsorbent (RSWA) and sawmill wood biochar adsorbent (SWBA) were evaluated as eco-friendly materials for removing cadmium ions (Cd²⁺) from aqueous solutions. The sawmill waste was thermally treated, and the resulting biochar was characterized using FT-IR, SEM, and BET analyses, revealing a rough, porous structure comprising functional groups that enhance adsorption. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated that SWBA exhibited a higher adsorption capacity (85.4 mg/g at 45 °C) compared to RSWA (78.6 mg/g at 40 °C), with equilibrium times of 180 min for SWBA and 150 min for RSWA. Adsorption efficiency was pH-dependent, with optimal removal occurring at pH 6 for SWBA and pH 5 for RSWA. Kinetic modeling confirmed that adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order model, while isotherm studies indicated a stronger correlation with the Freundlich model. Thermodynamic analysis confirmed the process to be endothermic and spontaneous. Desorption studies revealed a decline in adsorption efficiency over multiple cycles, with RSWA exhibiting slightly better desorption performance than SWBA. These findings highlight sawmill wood biochar as a cost-effective and sustainable solution for wastewater treatment, particularly in heavy metal removal.

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Published

2025-07-04

How to Cite

El-Rayyes, A., Arogundade , I., Sodiya, E. F., Ofudje, E. A., Refat, M. S., Alsuhaibani, A. M., & Akande, J. A. (2025). Sawmill Residue Valorization as Adsorbent for Cd2+ from Aqueous Solution. BioResources, 20(3), 7048–7074. Retrieved from https://ojs.bioresources.com/index.php/BRJ/article/view/24634

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 3 (2025)

Section

Research Article or Brief Communication