Eco-Friendly Industrial Wastewater Purification Using Banana Peels Adsorbent for Removal of Heavy Metal Ions

Eco-Friendly Industrial Wastewater Purification Using Banana Peels Adsorbent for Removal of Heavy Metal Ions

Rohit Deshmukh¹, Prachi Bhimte², Dilip Budhlani³

1 Guide, Civil Engineering Department, Swaminarayan Siddhanta Institute of Technology, Nagpur,

2 Student, Civil Engineering Department, Swaminarayan Siddhanta Institute of Technology, Nagpur,

 3 HoD, Civil Engineering Department, Swaminarayan Siddhanta Institute of Technology, Nagpur.

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Abstract—Heavy metal contamination in industrial wastewater poses a serious threat to ecosystems and human health. This study explores the potential of banana peels as a low-cost, sustainable biosorbent for removing heavy metal ions (Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cr⁶⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺) from aqueous solutions. The peels were washed, dried, ground, and chemically activated before batch adsorption tests. Maximum removal efficiencies achieved were 85% for Pb²⁺, 78% for Cd²⁺, and 72% for Cr⁶⁺ under optimal pH (5–6), contact time (60 min), and adsorbent dosage (2 g/100 mL). The pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model best described the adsorption behavior. The study confirms that banana peels are a viable eco-friendly alternative for industrial wastewater treatment.

Index Terms— Banana peel, Heavy metal removal, Adsorption, Eco-friendly, Biosorbent, Industrial wastewater.