Application of a Cotinus-Derived Biosorbent for Copper Removal from Aqueous Media: Kinetic and Spectrophotometric Evaluation
Fatih Babayev1* , Zamana Jafarova1 , Leyla Gasimova1 ,
Remziyye Yusifova1 , Senan Zeyniyev1
Abstract. Heavy metal contamination in aquatic systems remains one of the major environmental concerns associated with industrial development. Among various toxic pollutants, dissolved copper species are frequently encountered in industrial wastewater and may negatively affect both ecological systems and human health at elevated concentrations. In the present study, the adsorption performance of a plant-derived biosorbent prepared from saraghan material was systematically investigated using kinetic and spectrophotometric approaches. The biosorbent was obtained through drying and mechanical grinding without additional chemical modification. Adsorption experiments were performed under different contact times (5-30 min), pH conditions (3-7), and initial metal concentrations (10-50 mg/l). Spectrophotometric analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in absorbance intensity after treatment, indicating efficient metal uptake by the biosorbent surface. Equilibrium conditions were approached within approximately 30 minutes, while the removal efficiency ranged between 82% and 91% under optimal conditions. The adsorption process was strongly influenced by pH, and maximum performance was observed in near-neutral media. Kinetic calculations revealed good agreement with the pseudo-second-order model, suggesting that chemisorption mechanisms dominate the interaction process. The obtained findings indicate that cotinus-derived material can serve as a low-cost, environmentally friendly, and efficient biosorbent for heavy metal remediation in aqueous systems.
Keywords: biosorbent, heavy metals, adsorption kinetics, copper removal, spectrophotometric analysis, plant-based adsorbent, green chemistry