Removal of cadmium and lead from aqueous solutions using iron phosphate-modified pollen microspheres as adsorbents

Iron phosphate-modified pollen microspheres (pollen@FePO4) were prepared and applied as sorbents for the removal of heavy metals (Cd2+ and Pb2+) from the aqueous solution. Batch sorption studies were conducted to investigate the effects of solution pH, contact time, sorbent dosage, and metal concentration on the adsorption process. The sorption of Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions on pollen@FePO4 corresponds to the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isotherm, which is similar to the unmodified pollen. At pH 5.92, pollen@FePO4 offers maximum adsorption capacities of 4.623 and 61.35 mg·g−1 for Cd2+ and Pb2+, respectively. The faster sorption kinetics and higher adsorption capacities of Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions onto pollen@FePO4 than pollen indicates that it might be a promising material for the removal of heavy metal ions in aqueous solutions. The possible adsorption mechanism involves electrostatic and chemisorption for Cd2+ and mainly complexion for Pb2+.