CADMIUM (Cd) METAL ADSORPTION ANALYSIS IN WATER USING PLANT WASTE CORNCOBS AS NATURAL ADSORBENT

Heavy metals are known to accumulate in the body of an organism, and remain for a long time as toxins.The metal can be distributed to parts of the human body and some will accumulate in the body. If this situation continues, in the long term it can reach an amount that is harmful to human health. Efforts to reduce heavy metals in waste need to be carried out so that industrial contaminants do not pollute the environment too much when discharged into water bodies. So as to minimize the danger of contamination from industrial waste containing heavy metals. The adsorption process is more suitable because the costs required are not too expensive and will not cause new pollutants. Currently, research is being promoted on the use of alternative adsorbents derived from nature. Natural adsorbents in addition to having good adsorption ability, are also more economical. So the aim and target of this research to be achieved is to analyze the content of Cd metal in water using natural adsorbent derived from corncobs waste (Zea mays L.). To achieve this goal, the research method that will be carried out is to measure water samples that have been added with natural adsorbent from corncobs which were previously carried out by carbonization, biosorbent activation, and biosorbent characterization using XRD and BET analysis methods, respectively. The results showed that carbon had been carbonized and activated, then the results of XRD characterization analysis were carried out to determine the crystallinity of the layer formed on the biosorbent and activated carbon from corncobs. From the results of the research, the characterization results showed that the carbon and activated carbon from the biosorbent had an amorphous structure with a pore size of micropores. The optimum condition of corncobs activated carbon was at a mass of 5 gram and a contact time of 15 minutes with the absorption capacity of corncobs activated carbon of 56.92 %. The ability of activated carbon from corncobs biosorbent to absorb Cd(II) in water was 0.06 ppm.