Journal of Environmental Research

Evaluating the Adsorption Capacity of Heavy Metals by Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)

Joint Event on 4^th International Conference on Pollution Control & Sustainable Environment & 6^th Edition of International Conference on Water Pollution & Sewage Management
July 26-27, 2018 Rome, Italy

Gautham Das, Philip Curtsmith, Katherine Asciutto, Samantha DeVincentis and Audrey Iodice

Wentworth Institute of Technology, USA

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Environ Res

Abstract

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) was used to examine its capability as a renewable resource to decontaminate heavy metals. Determination of heavy metal content was carried out by means of atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The goal of this research was to evaluate the attenuation capacity of hemp. The results revealed heavy metals accumulation; cadmium and chromium in hemp. The analysis consisted of comparing linear, Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Langmuir isotherm resulted in the highest distribution coefficient (Kd) values of 5.6 L/g for Soil to Solution ratio of 1:10. Column testing results revealed that the concentrations of cadmium dropped from 1.0 to 0.3 mg/L within the first pore volume and by 15 pore volumes the concentration was close to zero mg/L. This indicated that hemp proved to be an effective adsorbent for the removal of cadmium ions in water.

Biography

Dr. Gautham Das is an Associate Professor in Wentworth Institute of Technology. Professor Das has 15 years of research and professional experience in the field of soil and water remediation. Philip Curtsmith is a research associate at Wentworth Institute of Technology since 2015. Katherine Asciutto, Samantha DeVincentis and Audrey Iodice are research assistants at Wentworth Institute of Technology. They are obtaining their Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and minoring in Environmental Engineering.

E-mail: dasg@wit.edu