Abstract An increasing of ammonia concentration in water is toxic to all forms of aquatic life. The adsorption behavior of a low-cost adsorbent, Eichhornia Crassipes leaves powder (ECLP), with respect to ammonia, has been conducted to consider its application for ammonia removing from drainage wastewater. The batch method was considered for ammonia removal to determine the optimum parameters like biosorbent dose ranged between (1-5 g/L), the pH is adjusted in the range between (3 – 9), sampling are taken after contact time (5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 60 minute) with the initial concentration of ammonia of (3, 4, 6, 8, 10 mg/L). 88% maximum removal was achieved at following optimum conditions; pH value = 5, sorbent dose 5 g/L, 10 mg/L initial ammonia concentration for 40 minute contact time. The Langmuir and Freundlich equations were employed to determine the equilibrium isotherms in terms of adsorption affinity and maximum adsorption capacity. The results indicated the Langmuir equation was well fitted the equilibrium adsorption proving monolayer adsorption. On the other hand, Eichhornia Crassipes leaves powder was employed to treat a composite sample of real drainage wastewater collected from Sabal drain at Menoufia, Egypt. The maximum removal efficiency of ammonia was reached to 87 % at pH value =7.5, sorbent dose 5 g/L, contact time (40 minute) and initial concentration 7.1 mg/L. Also, Eichhornia Crassipes leaves powder was found to be efficient to remove chloride, sulphate, nitrates, nitrite, silica, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, aluminum and lead from real drainage wastewater the sum of total cost of the treatment processes were ranged between 0.48 and 0.55 $/m3 depending on the concentration of ammonia in the wastewater influents.
Keywords Biosorption; Eichhornia Crassipes leaves powder; Ammonia; real drainage wastewater.