Sorption of Cu and Zn by bone charcoal

Bone charcoal is being developed as a treatment for decontaminating polluted water. In particular, its potential to adsorb metal species from contaminated water supplies is being examined. In this study, bone charcoal was used in batch and column experiments designed to investigate the sorption of two cationic metals Cu and Zn. The data from batch experiments fitted the Langmuir isotherm and so theoretical maximum binding capacities could be obtained. These values were compared with experimental values derived from the column experiments. The mechanisms involved in the immobilisation were also investigated.