DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/jksa.29.9.618-630

Adsorption of Pb(II) Ions from Artificial Liquid Waste by Vermicompost Humic Acid

1Department of Chemistry, Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Bogor, 16810, Indonesia

2Research Center for Sustainable Production System and Life Cycle Assessment, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Banten 15314, Indonesia

Received: 11 Jun 2026; Revised: 13 Sep 2026; Accepted: 5 Oct 2026; Published: 30 Oct 2026.
Open Access Copyright 2026 Jurnal Kimia Sains dan Aplikasi under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

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Abstract
This study explores the use of vermicompost humic acid (VCHA) as a low-cost, eco-friendly adsorbent for the removal of Pb(II) from artificial liquid waste. VCHA was extracted and purified from vermicompost, then characterized using SEM-EDS, FTIR, and UV-Vis to determine its surface morphology, elemental composition, and functional groups. The characterization results confirmed the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups, such as carboxylate and phenolic hydroxyl groups, which are involved in metal binding. Adsorption studies demonstrated that the optimum pH for Pb(II) removal was 4, achieving a maximum removal efficiency of 96.78%. Equilibrium data were best fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model, yielding a maximum calculated adsorption capacity (qmax) of 129.05 mg/g. Kinetic data aligned most closely with the Ho pseudo-second-order model (kHo = 0.0012 g/mg), indicating that the rate of adsorption is governed by chemical interactions between Pb(II) ions and VCHA surface sites. These findings highlight the significant potential of VCHA as a waste-derived adsorbent for removing Pb(II) from an artificial liquid waste system.
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Keywords: Vermicompost humic acid (VCHA); Pb(II) adsorption; heavy metal removal; wastewater treatment; sustainable adsorbent
Funding: Department of Chemistry, Republic of Indonesia Defense University, and partially financed by LPDP and Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN) under contract RIIM-4 contract: 152/IV/KS/11/2023 and PKS/206/XI/2023/UNHANRI

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Section: Research Articles
Language : EN
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