LDB 1042 ACADEMIC WRITING

ARTICLE:
BANANA PEEL AS ADSORBENT TO REMOVE HEAVY METALS IN
WATER

LECTURERS NAME:

MOHAMED NOOR ROSLI BIN BAHAROM

STUDENTS NAMES:

MUHAMMAD FAWWAZ BIN MOHD ZULKIFLI 24185

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 19TH AUGUST 2016

Banana Peel as Adsorbent to Remove

Heavy Metals in Water
1.0 Introduction
The increase in environment pollution caused by toxic metals is of great concern thanks to their
carcinogenic properties, non-biodegradability and bio-accumulation. Ingestion of heavy metals such
as cadmium, mercury and lead causes various types of acute and chronic metabolic disorders such as
itai-itai disease, nausea and anaemia. Because of its toxic effects, it is important to develop an
effective, fast, precise and accurate method for the removal of the heavy metals in environmental
water samples.
During the past two decades, extensive research has been carried out to identify new adsorbents for
heavy metal such as cadmium removal which are both effective and economical. Wood and bark,
Kraft lignin, rice husk, marine algal biomass and tea industry waste are the examples of materials
have been assessed for heavy metals uptake. In the present work, the development of banana peel has
led to the hope that it can be used as heavy metal removers from wastewaters to overcome water
pollution. The biomaterial acts as an eco-friendly and low cost adsorbent that could be used to adsorb
heavy metals such as copper and cadmium ion in aqueous solutions. (Memon, et al., 2008)

2.0 Methodology
2.1 Materials
Studied had showed researchers used variety of heavy metals such as
copper,Cu, lead,Pd and cadmium,Cd as their standard stock solution.
Dissolved a desired amount of

CuSO 4 in de-ionized water to make the

standard solution of copper from 25.0-200.0 mg/L were prepared by

dilution of stock standard metal ions solutions of 1000.0

Cu ( 2 ) mg/L.

(Tongyam, Apichartpattanasiri, & Pormsila, 2013). Furthermore, Anwar, et

al. (2010) reported they dissolved a desired amount of analytical grade of
cadmium nitrate and lead nitrate separately in de-ionized water to make
the standard solution from 10.0-100.0 g/mL by dilution of stock standard
metal ions solutions of 1000.0 g/mL cadmium and lead.

2.2 Methods
Most of the studied used same method for preparation of minced banana
peel. Slices of banana peel were cut into small pieces, dried, crushed and
passed through 120 mesh sieves (125m). The banana peel had to
remove physically absorbed contamination by washed thoroughly with
deionized water and then dried with minimum at 60 oC with and 14 hours.
(Memon, et al., 2008; Tongyam, Apichartpattanasiri, & Pormsila, 2013;
Mane & Bhusari, 2012).

2.3 Equipment and apparatus

Atomic absorption spectrometry, AAS (Perkin Elmer) was used to
determined concentration of heavy metals such as copper, cadmium and
lead.

(Memon,

et

al.,

2008;

Castro,

et

al.,

2011;

Tongyam,

Apichartpattanasiri, & Pormsila, 2013). Moreover, Fourier transform

infrared spectroscopy, FT-IR was used to determine functional group in
minced banana peel. It is one of the important equipment to analyse the absorbent.
(Anwar, et al., 2010; Castro, et al., 2011; Mane & Bhusari, 2012; Memon, et al., 2008;
Tongyam, Apichartpattanasiri, & Pormsila, 2013).
On the other hand, some of the researchers used scanning electron microscopy with energy Xray analysis (SEM-DEX) to determine elemental composition of minced banana peel surfaces
which to confirm the adsorption of heavy metals. (Memon, et al., 2008; Tongyam,
Apichartpattanasiri, & Pormsila, 2013). Furthermore, pH meter was used to determine value
of pH of solutions and made pH adjustment of solutions by using 0.1 M HCl and 0.1 M
NaOH. (Anwar, et al., 2010; Memon, et al., 2008; Tongyam, Apichartpattanasiri, & Pormsila,
2013).

2.4 Study of process parameters

Common parameters that been studied by the researchers were absorbents doses and pH
effects. (Anwar, et al., 2010; Memon, et al., 2008; Tongyam, Apichartpattanasiri, & Pormsila,
2013) To study the effects parameter, the parameter has been changed progressively keeping
the other parameter constant. After the adsorption, contents of the flask were filtrated and
filtrates were subject to atomic absorption.

2.3 Batch Extraction Procedure

Nevertheless, Castro, et al. (2011) reported used different method which batch extraction
procedure to study the process parameters. Standard metal ions solution (30 mg/L) were

transferred to 50

mL

centrifuge tubes and 0.02, 0.06, 0.10, 0.14 and 0.16 of minced

banana peel was added to each tube. The effect of

pH

on the extraction process was

investigated by mixed appropriate ratios of 0.1 M hydrochloric acid, HCL and potassium
chloride, KCl, 0.5 M acetic acid and sodium acetate and 0.5 ammonia, NH 3 and ammonium
chloride, NH4Cl solution to prepare buffer solutions of

pH

1-3, 4-6 and 7-9 respectively.

The amount of metal adsorbs by minced banana peel, Nf was identified using equation:

Nf =

(ni ns )
m

Where ni is the initial number of moles of the metal ion in solution phase, n s is the number of
moles of metal ion in supernatant, after the extraction, and m is adsorbent mass used. Furnace
atomic absorption spectrometry is the equipment to identified residual metal concentration in
the supernatant.

3.0 Results and discussion

3.1 FT-IR Analysis
Based on Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis, most of the researchers
found the banana peel have carboxylic and hydroxyl group which played major role in
removal metal. Tongyam, Apichartpattanasiri, & Pormsila (2013) reported the IR bands of OH stretching, C-H stretching, C-O stretching and O-H bend were 3321.9, 2918.5, 1369.7 and
1036.7 cm-1 respectively. Then, after esterification, the reduction of O-H stretching (3349.7
cm-1), C-H stretching (2990.9 cm-1) and O-H bend (1726.5 cm-1) were observed which
confirmed adsorption of copper on banana peel was occurred. Furthermore, beside adsorption
on cooper, adsorption of cadmium also had been confirmed by Memon, et al. (2008) that said
band appearing at 3313.4 and 29220.3 was O-H stretching and C-H stretching of alkane
respectively. After esterification of banana peel, a significant reduction of O-H (3303) and CH (2906) were observed.

3.2 SEM-EDX Analysis

Researchers were confirmed that the adsorption of copper and cadmium onto the surface of
banana peel was occurred by using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive Xray (SEM-DEX) analysis. According to Tongyam, Apichartpattanasiri, & Pormsila (2013), an
additional peak of Cu was observed after adsorption process which show that the adsorption
of copper on banana peels surfaces was occurred. Other than that, sorption of cadmium onto

the surface of the banana peel was confirmed by observed an additional peak of cadmium
after adsorption process. (Memon, et al., 2008)

3.3 Effect of Adsorbent Doses

Tongyam, Apichartpattanasiri, & Pormsila (2013) reported the increasing doses of banana
peel from 0.1 g to 0.3 g using 25 mg/L of copper solution correspond to higher adsorption
abilities from 79.2% to 94.2% because of more increasing active side of banana surface to
attract copper ion. It also same happened to the cadmium and lead metals, studied used dosage
of banana peel from 10 to 90 g/L and observed that the absorption efficiency increasingly and
the maximum removal was 89.2% and 85.3% for doses of 30 g/L and 40 g/L for cadmium (50
g/ mL ) and lead (50 g/ mL ) respectively. However, excess dosage of banana peel
would affect to decrease of efficiency as a consequence of a partial aggregation of adsorbent,
which result in decrease in effective surface area for metal uptake. (Anwar, et al., 2010). On
the other hand, banana peel taken such as 0.01g to 0.08g with 50 ml textile effluent in
polyethylene bottle in orbital shaker at about 300 0C and 150 rpm and it was found the
maximum colour removal efficiency was 87% at dose of 0.05g of adsorbent when shaking
time was 55 minutes. (Mane & Bhusari, 2012)

3.4 Effect of

pH

Some of the studies found the optimum

pH

for adsorption of heavy metals onto surface

of banana peel was medium acidic solution meanwhile some of them conclude the favourable

pH

for the adsorption is weak base solution. The adsorption of copper and cadmium was

found to continuously increase with

maximum at

pH

pH

values from 3.0 to 8.0 and then stayed in

8.0. (Tongyam, Apichartpattanasiri, & Pormsila, 2013; Memon, et al.,

2008). Nevertheless, according to Castro, et al. (2011) the favourable of adsorption process of
lead and copper was
the

pH

pH

5.0 when the effect of

pH

was identified by many types of

of metal solutions subjected to extraction experiments with diluted solutions of

sodium hydroxide, NaOH and nitric oxide, HNO3.

Furthermore, favourable of adsorption process of lead and copper was in acidic solution.
Approximately 98% absorption lead and copper in surfaces of minced banana peel occurred at

pH

5.0. This because, carboxylic acids group in minced banana peel which the main

group responsible for metal extraction was protonated due to the high concentration of H +
4

species. (Anwar, et al., 2010). On the other hand, colour removal was studied at pH ranging
between 4 and 10 by maintaining pH of waste water sample with dilute HCL and NaOH
solution. The maximum removal of colour from waste water is at 7 pH which 90% of
absorption occurred. (Mane & Bhusari, 2012). Based on research, metal ions would form to
hydroxide ion and be precipitated as metal oxide complexes which cause to reduction of
adsorption efficiencies of metal ions on banana surface when the

pH

solution higher than

7.0.

4.0 Conclusion
In a conclusion, many researchers attracted to the banana peel as a waste for heavy metal removal due
to its low cost and the fact that it does not require modification. Moreover, banana peel is eco-friendly
and does not harmful to the health. Moreover, minced banana peel has a greater adsorption capacity
compare several other natural and synthesized material such as Na-bentonite, sawdust, expanded
perlite (EP) and modified peanut husk and it can be used back over 11 cycles (Castro, et al., 2011).
Nevertheless, minced banana peel also can be used as for removal of colour efficiency besides heavy
metals and the maximum adsorption was better than orange peel. (Mane & Bhusari, 2012). Last but
not least, as expected, minced banana peel is very suitable as alternative way to replace hazardous and
high cost chemical as absorbent to waste water and industrial effluents as it is cheaper and safer and
have higher capacity of adsorption heavy metals. However, it need more research to study the effect
of

pH

solution to maximise the adsorption efficiency of heavy metals.

5.0 References
Anwar, J., Shafique, U., Waheed-uz-Zaman, Salman, M., Dar, A., & Anwar, S. (2010). Removal of
Pb(II) and Cd(II) from Water by Adsorption on Peels of Banana. Bioresource Technology,
1752-1755.
Castro, R. S., Caetano, L., Ferraira, G., Padilha, P. M., Saeki, M. J., Zara, L. F., . . . Castro, G. R.
(2011). Banana Peel Applied to the Solid Phase Extraction of Copper and Lead from River
Water: Preconcentration of Metal Ions with a Fruit Waste. Industrial & Engineering
Chemistry Research , 3446-3451.
Mane, R., & Bhusari, V. (2012). Removal of Colour (dyes) from Textile Effluent by Adsorption using
Orange and Banana peel. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications,
1997-2004.

Memon, J. R., Memon, S. Q., Bhanger, M., Memon, G. Z., El-Turki, A., & Allen, G. C. (2008).
Characterization of Banana Peel by Scanning Electron Microscopy and FT-IR Spectroscopy
and its use for Cadmium Removal. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 260-265.
Tongyam, C., Apichartpattanasiri, S., & Pormsila, W. (2013). Characterizations of Banana Peel and Its
Efficiency for Copper Adsorption. Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering, 608013.