Crayfish Carapace Micro-powder (CCM): A Novel and Efficient Adsorbent for Heavy Metal Ion Removal from Wastewater

Crayfish carapace, a plentiful waste in China, was applied to remove divalent heavy metal ions—copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb)—from wastewater. The adsorption capacities of crayfish carapace micro-powder (CCM) for heavy metal ions were studied with adsorbent dosages ranging from 0.5–2.5 g/L and with initial metal concentrations ranging from 50–250 mg/L. CCM particle size, initial solution pH (from 2.5–6.5), temperature (from 25–65 °C) and calcium level (from 3.5–21.5%) were also varied in batch mode. The results indicated that the adsorption capacity increases with both decreasing particle size and increasing calcium level of the crayfish carapace. The kinetic studies indicated that the adsorption could be complete within 2 h, and that the data correlated with the pseudo-second-order model. CCM recorded maximum uptakes of 200, 217.39, 80, and 322.58 mg/g for Cu, Cd, Zn, and Pb, respectively. The adsorption capacities and removal efficiencies of CCM for metal ions were three-times higher than those of chitin and chitosan extracted from the CCM.