Cadmium ion removal from aqueous media using banana peel biochar/Fe3O4/ZIF-67

In the present study, banana peel waste was used as a suitable source for biochar production. The banana peel biochar (BPB) was modified using Fe3O4 magnetic and ZIF-67 nanoparticles. The modification of the BPB surface (4.70 m2/g) with Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/ZIF-67 significantly increased the specific surface of the nanocomposites (BPB/Fe3O4: 78.83 m2/g, and BPB/Fe3O4/ZIF-67: 1212.40 m2/g). The effect of pH, temperature, contact time, adsorbent dose, and concentration of Cd2+ on the efficiency of the Cd2+ adsorption was explored. Maximum adsorption efficiencies for BPB (97.76%), BPB/Fe3O4 (97.52%), and BPB/Fe3O4/ZIF-67 (99.14%) were obtained at pH 6, Cd2+ concentration of 10 mg/L, times of 80 min, 50 min, and 40 min, and adsorbent doses of 2 g/L, 1.5 g/L, and 1 g/L, respectively. Thermodynamic measurements indicated that the process is spontaneous and exothermic. The maximum capacity of Cd2+ adsorption using BPB, BPB/Fe3O4, and BPB/Fe3O4/ZIF-67 were obtained 20.63 mg/g, 30.33 mg/g, and 50.78 mg/g, respectively. The Cd2+ adsorption using magnetic nanocomposites followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The results showed that studied adsorbents especially BPB/Fe3O4/ZIF-67 have a good ability to adsorb-desorb Cd2+ and clean an effluent containing pollutants. •The banana peel biochar (BPB) was modified by Fe3O4 and ZIF-67.•The BET surface area of BPB/Fe3O4/ZIF-67 was 1212.4 m2/g.•Cd2+ was removed by BPB (97.76%) and BPB/Fe3O4/ZIF-67 (99.14%) at pH 6.•The Cd2+ adsorption using BPB/Fe3O4/ZIF-67 followed the pseudo-first-order model.•Cd2+ was effectively cleaned from a real effluent.