Abstract

• This researchis concerned with the study on the uptake of Pb(II) and n(II) metal cations by the dry taro (biomass) using batchwise system. The plant sample was collected from thePyay University Campus. The similar shape, size, weight and height of taro plant were selected and washed with tap water, distilled water and dried in air. The dried sample was made to powder by using grinder and sieved with 0.9-1 mm mesh. The determinations of the initial amounts of Pb(II) and n(II) metal cations in taro plant, soil and water from sample site were carried out. It was observed that the initial amounts of n(II) ion in plant, soil and water from sample site was greater than those of Pb(II) ion. In experiment I, 8.5 g of the dried powder sample was packed in a cotton bag and immersed in each of experimental buckets containing 3L of different metal cations with different concentrations separately to determine the uptake ofPb(II) and n(II) metal cations on daily up to 7 days.Moreover in experiment II, the amount of uptake of Pb(II) and n(II) metal cations were examined eight times at the interval of 15 min up to 120 min by adding (8.5 g) each of sample in 150 mL of solutions containing different concentrations of metal cations.The optimum contact time at 45 min for Pb(II) and 60 min for n(II).It could be seen clearly that the uptake capacity for Pb(II) was greater than n(II) in both experiments I and II. The effect of temperature on the uptake of Pb(II) and n(II) by the dry taro (biomass) was studied at the range between 20C and 70C based on 50, 25 and 10 ppm.The optimum temperature was at 40 °C. It was found that, the percent uptake of Pb(II) was higher than n(II) for the concentrations of 50, 25 and 10 ppm. The percent uptake of n(II) was investigated by the acidified biomass of drytaro at the interval of 15 min up to 120 minfor 50 ppm of n(II) solution. It was found that the optimum uptake of n(II) ion was reached at 60 min. The acidified biomass of dry taro was greater in uptake of n(II) ion than the non-acidified biomass of dry taro