Iranian Journal of

Background and Objective: Nickel (II) and cadmium (II) are important in environmental pollutant. Biosorption of heavy metals can be an effective process for the removal and recovery of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions because of the decrease in sludge problems, economical issues, high efficiency and compatibility with the environment.
Materials and Methods: power of wasted activated sludge have been contact with nickel (II) and cadmium (II) solutions in 0.25 and 0.75 milli molar invarious pHs and mixing pace, at 24-26 0C temperature on batch reactor system .After two hours (continuously 5-420 min in kinetic study) samples were analyzed with atomic absorption spectrophotometer.
Results:The kinetic study results show that equilibrium adsorption time for nickel (II) and cadmium
(II) reached within 2 hr, but the profile curve of cadmium (II) biosorption was smoother than nickel (II) biosorption. Both metals adsorption followed the Langmuir model and the maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) for nickel (II) and cadmium (II) was 0.195 and 0.37 milli mole per gram respectively. The increase in pH resulted in adsorption increase for both metals. For cadmium (II) at 0.25 and 0.75 mMinitial concentration there was no adsorption at pH 2 where as nickel (0.25 mM) adsorption was observed at the same pH. The optimum mixing rate for both metals was 200 rpm and this effect was more obviously in greater concentration.
Conclusion: Like othe biosorbents ,wasted activated sludge showed greater capacity for cadmium(II) biosorption than nickel (II). Cadmium (II) in modeling and biosorption characteristics study had more conformity than nickel (II).