Conversion of waste FGD gypsum into hydroxyapatite for removal of Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ from wastewater.

Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum, a familiar waste generated from coal-fired power plants, was successfully transformed to hydroxyapatite (FGD-HAP) by hydrothermal method. The obtained FGD-HAP was characterized by XRD, FTIR, TEM and BET methods and investigated as adsorbent for removal of Pb(2+) and Cd(2+) from wastewater. Batch experiments were performed by varying the pH values, contact time and initial metal concentration. The result of pH impact showed that the adsorption of two ions was pH dependent process, and the pH 5.0-6.0 was found to be the optimum condition. The achieved experimental data were analyzed with various kinetic and isotherm models. The kinetic studies displayed that the pseudo-second order kinetic model could describe adsorption processes well with high correlation coefficient, and the Langmuir isotherm model provided the best fit to the equilibrium experimental data. The maximum adsorption capacities calculated from Langmuir equation were 277.8 and 43.10mg/g for Pb(2+) and Cd(2+), respectively, which can compete with other adsorbents. The thermodynamic parameters revealed the adsorption processes were endothermic and spontaneous in nature. In binary adsorption, the amount of Cd(2+) adsorbed on FGD-HAP decreased by 46.0% with increasing concentration of Pb(2+), which was higher than that of Pb(2+)(21.7%), demonstrating the stronger affinity between FGD-HAP and Pb(2+). The highest amount of Pb(2+) and Cd(2+) desorbed from saturated FGD-HAP by EDTA solution confirmed the FGD-HAP was a promising alternative adsorbent in treatment of toxic Pb(2+) and Cd(2+) wastewater.