Activated biochar from gracilaria edulis seaweeds: A novel biosorbent for efficient uranium ion removal in wastewater treatment

The biosorption of uranium ions was explored through batch studies employing activated biochar derived from Gracilaria Edulis seaweeds. A chemical synthesis approach utilizing concentrated sulfuric acid created and activated the adsorbent material. SEM and FTIR measurements were used to characterize the adsorbent material, and EDX examination validated the adsorption of contaminants. The pH of the uranium-containing solution and the other parameters of reaction time, dose of biochar, concentration of uranium ions, and solution's temperature were adjusted, and the impact of uranium ion adsorption efficiency was investigated. The adsorption nature and its process were analyzed using various kinetic and equilibrium studies. Metal absorption by the adsorbent is endothermic, according to thermodynamic experiments. Around 93.27% of uranium, and metal ions were recovered in an elution study by adding sulfuric acid in 0.3N. In summary, this study achieved an efficiency of 91.27% for uranium ions from the aqueous solutions using Gracilaria Edulis charcoal material as the adsorbent.