Effect of temperature and pH on the biosorption of ammonium onto Posidonia oceanica fibers: Equilibrium, and kinetic modeling studies

In the present study, the effects of temperature and pH on ammonium biosorption onto Posidonia oceanica fibers were investigated. The results showed that the ammonium biosorption onto these fibers occurred for a wide pH range and the adsorption capacity of these fibers increased with increasing temperature. The modeling studies showed that the ammonium biosorption was well described by the pseudo-second-order model, predicting therefore chemisorption interactions-type at earlier stages and intraparticle diffusion at later stages. The ammonium biosorption was governed by film diffusion process at various temperatures. Besides, equilibrium data were very well represented by Langmuir isotherm, which confirmed the mono-layer coverage. The use of P. oceanica fibers presents an interesting option for both tertiary wastewater treatment (as a possible non-conventional biosorbent for the removal of ammonium), and waste recycling (as a fertilizer and compost).