Pb Ion Removal Using Wood Ash

Lead (Pb) is a toxic material and can cause grevious health complications in humans. Its
removal from the environment is highly desirable and many techniques have been
developed for this specific purpose. However, many of these techniques are costly and
some materials used are difficult to obtain. Therefore much research has been done in
order to find new more cost effective alternatives. This project has the objective of
determining whether wood ash is an effective alternative.
The project is carried out in an experimental manner. Wood ash is mixed with a
known concentration of lead ions. The amount of lead removed is determined by using
the Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. This data is then interpreted to determine the
effectiveness of wood ash as a lead ion remover. The experiment is performed with three
different concentrations of lead ions; 20, 40 and 60 parts per million (ppm). To see the
effect oftemperature, the experiments are performed at room temperature, 30, 35,40 and
45 Degrees Celsius. In all the experiments, all the lead is removed within the first ten
minutes of the experiment. It has been determined that the mechanism of lead ion
removal is precipitation, hence the fast rate of lead removal.
This experiment has proven that ash is a very efficient lead ion remover,
accomplishing this by chemical precipitation. Therefore ash is considered to be a viable
alternative for lead ion removal. Further studies should be conducted to determine the
optimum operating conditions and also the detailed economics of removing lead using
wood ash.