Removal Of Hazardous Wastes From Aqueous Solutions Via Adsorption Using The Common Dandelion /

Copper and cadmium are two commonly released pollutants that pose serious health hazards if ingested. An inexpensive and renewable adsorbent is needed for replacing activated carbon as an effective means of removing such pollutants from wastewater. In this experiment, crushed dandelions were used to agitate aqueous solutions containing these toxins for the purpose of evaluating the extent at which they are capable of removing them from water. It was hypothesized that pollutant concentration would be inversely proportional to adsorbent dosage and agitation time.. Experimentation was accomplished by mixing the processed dandelions with the solutions for 30 minute periods. All pollutant concentrations decreased drastically after 5 minutes of agitation. Final pollutant concentrations of copper and cadmium after 30 minutes were shown to be significantly less than initial pollutant concentrations by two-sample t-tests for all dosages of both types of adsorbents; t(2)≥8.0905, p≤0.007. Moreover, the highest removal rates achieved by both dandelion adsorbents after thirty minutes of agitation were greater than eighty-five percent for both copper and cadmium. Such results provide hope and encouragement for further studies dedicated to the use of the common dandelion as a cheap and renewable alternative to activated carbon. Future studies would aim to test the ability of such novel adsorbents to remove cadmium, chromium, nickel, and copper from aqueous solutions.