Removal of Cadmium and Manganese Ions Utilizing Astragalus uliginosus L-Stem Biochar

Astragalus uliginosus L.-stems as a by-product of oriental medicine are produced largely in a northern area of Chungbuk province. These by-products do not have any demand and thus usually discarded into the fields as a waste. In this work, a biochar was prepared from the Astragalus uliginosus L.-stem waste for recycling. The biochar was used to investigate the removal characteristics of cadmium and manganese ions dissolved in water. When adsorption equilibrium experiments were performed to treat 50 and 100 mg/L of cadmium ions, the removal efficiencies of cadmium were 100 and 95%, respectively. In addition, the maximum of adsorption amount for manganese ions in 5 h at an initial concentration of 50 and 100 mg/L was found to be as 36.1 and 37.9 mg/g, respectively. Based on the experimental results, it was found that the adsorption amount of Astragalus uliginosus L.-stem biochar for the removal of both cadmium and manganese ions was four times higher than that of the activated carbon. The surface analysis of both biochar and activated carbon samples using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis showed that the oxygen content and O/C ratio of biochar was 2.1 and 2.4 times higher than that of the activated carbon, respectively. In order to enhance the removal capability of manganese, 50 and 100 mg/L of manganese ions were operated at different temperatures. It was observed that these equilibrium was attained in 4 h under 45 degrees C and removal efficiencies were 92 and 53%, respectively. Consequently, the experimental results can be utilized as a new removal technology for eco-friendly and economically treating cadmium and manganese ions dissolved in water.