The investigation on adsorption ability of new activated carbon from the vine shoots (ACVS) for copper and lead ions in simulated gastric matrix

Although copper has an important place for human metabolism, it is a heavy metal, which has toxic effects at high dosages. The most serious poisonings related to copper are caused by oral ingestion of food and drinking water. Lead is a heavy metal that can produce toxic effects even in trace amounts. Lead is a kind of neurotoxin, and therefore it causes abnormal brain and nervous system functions. In order to reduce the harmful effects of copper and lead to the human body from food and water or other reasons, elimination from metabolism by solid phase extraction technique (adsorption) using activated carbon is often a preferred method. However, the weakness of the adsorption relevance of heavy metals to the activated carbons used commercially in the gastric medium at low pH is an undesirable situation. This case highlights alternative use of chelates in heavy metal poisoning. Because of the high cost of chelating agents and the emergence of undesirable side effects, it is important to use new active carbon types, which are adsorbing at low pH and are more inert than chelating agents in this field. In this study, it is aimed to remove copper and lead entering the body by mouth from the simulated gastric medium using solid phase extraction technique to reduce toxic effect on human health. A new activated carbon from the vine shoots (ACVS) was used as the adsorbent. The most suitable adsorption parameters (pH, duration, mixing speed, adsorbent amount and effect of other components) in the batch system were examined by preparing simulated gastric medium recommended by NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health). Heavy metal analyzes were performed by High Resolution Continuous Source Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (HR CS-FAAS). In our studies, initial Cu(II) and Pb(II) ion concentrations were taken as 10 mg/L and adsorbent content was 0,3 g. The maximum adsorption efficiency of Cu(II) and Pb(II) ions in the range of pH 3,5-6,5 was determined to be 100%.