Turning Agricultural Waste into a Powerful Solution: Enhanced Lead Removal via Chemically Modified Oat Straw

The release of industrial effluents and agricultural runoff containing heavy metals, like lead (Pb), poses serious environmental risks and significant impact on human health. This study explores the adsorption capacity of potassium hydroxide (KOH)-modified oat straw (KOS) as an effective, low-cost biosorbent for lead removal from contaminated water. The modification process increased the surface area and improved the availability of functional groups, enhancing adsorption performance compared to unmodified oat straw. Structural analysis was conducted using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Batch experiments evaluated the effects of contact time, initialPb²⁺ concentration, and pH on lead removal efficiency. The adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics, with chemisorption as the main mechanism. Isotherm studies indicated that the Langmuir and Redlich-Peterson models offered the best fit, showing a maximum adsorption capacity of 191.41mg/g. These findings highlight the potential of KOH-modified oat straw as a sustainable solution for heavy metal removal from wastewater, effectively valorizing agricultural waste biomass.