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This present study considers the adsorption of cations of heavy metals (zinc, cadmium, copper) which are frequently encountered in industrial wastewaters. The solid material used as adsorbent is nonactivated carbon obtained from a local cereal byproduct. In order to assess this material, adsorbents obtained from other agricultural byproducts, such as almond and peanuts shells, have also been tested. Adsorption isotherms have been determined and the influence of various parameters, such as the particle size, the solid‐liquid contacting time, the pH of the solution, the initial concentration, the mixing velocity, the temperature and the ratio solid mass over solution volume, have been considered. The case of simultaneous presence of metallic cations in the solution has also been considered in order to examine their affinity towards the adsorbent. An attempt to determine whether the retention of the cations is a pure adsorption or an ion exchange has also been carried out. Retention yield values exceeding 90 % have been reached with an initial concentration of 10 mg/L, a temperature of 20 °C, a particle size smaller than 0.1 mm, a mixing velocity of 600 rev/min, a ratio of 0.5 g adsorbent over 50 ml of solution and a pH varying between 3 and 6.

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