The potential use of the immobilized Mentha arvensis distillation waste (IMADW) biomass for removal and
recovery of Cu(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous was evaluated in the present study. Biosorption capacity of Cu(II)
and Zn(II) on IMADW increased with increase in pH reaching a maximum at 5 for Cu(II) and 6 for Zn(II). The
equilibrium sorption data agreed well with Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic
model in batch mode. Cu(II) and Zn(II) uptake by IMADW was best described by pseudo-first-order kinetic
model in continuous mode. Maximum Cu(II) and Zn(II) uptake by IMADW was 104.48 and 107.75 mg/g,
respectively. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
were also carried out to investigate functional groups and surface changes of biomass. The results showed
that IMADW biomass is a potential biomaterial to remove Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions with a high biosorption
capacity from aqueous solutions.
