Applicability of Used Tea Leaves for Heavy Metal Retention from Industrial Effluents

Heavy metal pollution is one of the significant concerns in Bangladesh. Due to complex behavior, heavy metal requires specialized treatment; among them, adsorptive retention from aqueous solutions proved as a cost-effective technique. This study investigates the usefulness of used tea leaves for adsorptive retention of Cu2+ ions from synthetic wastewater. Series of batch experiments identify the factors affecting adsorption, such as the adsorbent dose, agitation time, and the initial metal ion concentration. Maximum 95.1% Cu2+ retained on used tea leaves within 120 minutes of agitation time. The equilibrium data show compatibility with Langmuir and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms. High retention capacity proves used tea leaves as one of the excellent alternative adsorption materials.