2006-2007 MIE-STEM Faculty Mini-Grants Recipient

"Removal of Heavy Metal Pollutants from Industrial Wastewater using Natural Materials"

Dr. Bryan Bilyeu
Physics

Student Assistants (Left to Right)
Barry Jackson, Keturah Hunter, Gilbert Kogo

Abstract:

My research focuses on practical and economic methods to remove heavy metal contamination from industrial wastewater. Heavy metals in industrial wastewater discharge are strictly limited by state and federal regulations due to the severe threat to the environment. The specific heavy metals targeted in this project are chromium, cadmium, copper, arsenic, and lead. These metals can’t be eliminated by traditional chemical and biological wastewater treatment techniques and new techniques which selectively remove them are expensive and difficult to implement. Agriculture and biomass products have shown effectiveness in adsorbing or binding metal ions in solution. This project will start with an evaluation of the effectiveness of various local agriculture and food processing by products to adsorb heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Louisiana industry has two major sources of possible biosorbents – agriculture and seafood. Initial evaluations will start with cotton seed

hulls, pecan shells, grasses, saw dust, and crab, shrimp and crawfish shells. The sorbents will be evaluated for both metal capacity and binding strength, as well as selectivity for specific metals. The second stage of the project involves consolidating the waste. Although the sorbents are inexpensive, disposing of heavy metal contaminated material is expensive and unfriendly to the environment. An effective biosorbent should be able to be either regenerated (transferring the metal ions to another solution) or consolidated (by burning or degrading the organic biosorbent). This project is intended to be the starting point for larger funded projects, including industrial collaborations. "