Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, sa.28, ss.132-143, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Wastewater from the lead–acid battery industry poses serious environmental risks due to its low pH and heavy metals. Lead
causes neurotoxic effects, organ damage, and thus requires treatment. Among removal methods, adsorption is a promising
alternative due to its high effectiveness and low cost. In this study, eggshell waste was valorized as an adsorbent within
alginate beads for lead uptake. Acid soaking and calcination were applied as preliminary treatments for the eggshell. The
alginate–eggshell beads were characterized using SEM and FTIR analysis. In the first set of experiments, the effects of
eggshell particle size, alginate-to-eggshell ratio, initial pH, and metal concentration on lead removal and desorption were
evaluated. In the second phase, battery wastewater was treated in a column. The composite beads exhibited a highly rough
surface that enhances the accessible surface area for binding, along with an appropriate size range for continuous operation.
Alginate–eggshell beads (with < 100 μm particles at a 1:1 ratio) achieved 98% removal efficiency at pH 6, representing
the optimum conditions. Pb2+ adsorption followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm, with
a maximum adsorption capacity of 218.3 mg/g. The beads allowed cost-effective reuse through simple acid regeneration.
Although other pollutants (e.g., competing metals) in battery wastewater reduced the Pb2+ adsorption capacity, continuous
treatment at a flow rate of 3 mL/min resulted in 87.5% Pb2+ removal, with the effluent concentration well below regulatory
limits. Thus, alginate–eggshell beads are a cost-effective and efficient material for wastewater treatment, particularly in
systems with low Pb2+ concentrations.