Experimental and modelling studies on fixed bed adsorption for Cu(II) removal from aqueous solution by carboxyl modified jute fiber

Complexing agent-assisted Cr(VI) removal in a continuous fixed-bed system with nanoscale Fe0/NaA molecular sieve membrane supported on nickel foam

Complexing agents (CAs) can be used for the removal of Cr(VI) via nanoscale Fe0 (nZVI) reduction in cost-effective manner. However, nZVI is prone to aggregation and passivation, and some conventional CAs are toxic and difficult to biodegrade, potentially causing secondary pollution. Therefore, selecting an environmentally friendly CA for assisting in the removal of Cr(VI) via supported nZVI is imperative. Herein, NaA molecular sieve membrane-supported nZVI (nZVI/NaA-NF) was prepared via the secondary growth and liquid-phase reduction method using nickel foam (NF) as the carrier. The physicochemical characteristics of nZVI/NaA-NF before and after reaction were analysed via SEM, EDS, and XPS. A CA-improved nZVI/NaA-NF was used for the effective removal of Cr(VI) in a continuous fixed-bed system. Furthermore, the influences of various experimental factors including the CA type, CA concentration, solution pH, space velocity, and inlet Cr(VI) concentration on Cr(VI) removal were systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that nZVI particles were homogeneously immobilized on the NaA molecular sieve membrane/NF for fresh nZVI/NaA-NF, and tetrasodium iminidisuccinate (IDS-4Na) inhibited the aggregation of Cr(III)/Fe(III) (hydr)oxide precipitates during the reaction. IDS-4Na demonstrated excellent promotive effect on Cr(VI) removal via nZVI/NaA-NF. The breakthrough time for Cr(VI) in the addition of IDS-4Na was considerably longer than that of nZVI/NaA-NF alone. The breakthrough concentration of Cr(VI) only reached 1.1% and 9.9% of the inlet concentration at 220 and 240 min, with an IDS-4Na concentration of 4 mM, a pH of 2.5, and a space velocity of 0.265 min-1. The Bohart-Adams model was appropriate to predict the initial part of Cr(VI) breakthrough curves in the nZVI/NaA-NF fixed bed. The saturated concentration (N0) increased with an increase in inlet Cr(VI) concentration. The Yoon-Nelson model afforded good fitting results for all breakthrough curves of Cr(VI). The k' value increased with an increase in space velocity, and the τ value decreased.

Sugar molasses as a sustainable precursor for the synthesis of graphene sand composite adsorbent for tetracycline and methylene blue removal

Sugar molasses from agricultural waste could be a sustainable carbon source for the synthesis of graphene adsorbent introduced in this work. The sugar molasses was successfully converted to graphene-like material and subsequently coated on the sand as graphene sand composite (GSC), as proven by XRD, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM with EDX mapping analyses. The adsorption performance of GSC was evaluated against the removal of Tetracycline (TC) and methylene blue (MB) pollutants from an aqueous solution in a fixed bed column continuous-flow adsorption setup. The effect of different process conditions: bed height (4-12 cm), influent flow rate (3-7 mL/min), and contaminants' concentration (50-150 ppm) was investigated. The results revealed that column performance was improved by increasing the bed depth and lowering the flow rate and concentration of the pollutants. The best removal efficiency was obtained when the bed height was 12 cm, the influent flow rate of 3 mL/min, and the pollutants' initial concentration was 50 mg/L. Thomas, Adams-Bohart, and Yoon-Nelson models were attempted to fit the breakthrough curves. Regeneration of the GSC indicated the decline of breakthrough time from 240-280 to 180 min, reflecting the decrease in adsorptive sites due to the incomplete regeneration process. Overall, sugar molasses was shown to be a low-cost precursor for synthesizing valuable graphene material in the form of GSC, which can reduce the problem for industrial waste management of sugar molasses, and the GSC could be used as an adsorbent for environmental application.

Application of artificial neural network and dynamic adsorption models to predict humic substances extraction from municipal solid waste leachate

Sustainable municipal solid waste leachate (MSWL) management requires a paradigm shift from removing contaminants to effectively recovering resources and decreasing contaminants simultaneously. In this study, two types of humic substances, fulvic acid (FA) and humic acid (HA) were extracted from MSWL. HA was extracted using HCl and NaOH solution, followed by FA using a column bed under diversified operations such as flow rate, input concentration, and bed height. Also, this work aims to evaluate efficiency of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Dynamic adsorption models in predicting FA. With the flow rate of 0.3 mL/min, bed height of 15.5 cm, and input concentration of 4.27 g/mL, the maximum capacity of FA was obtained at 23.03 mg/g. FTIR analysis in HA and FA revealed several oxygen-containing functional groups including carboxylic, phenolic, aliphatic, and ketone. The high correlation coefficient value (R²) and a lower mean squared error value (MSE) were obtained using the ANN, indicating the superior ability of ANN to predict adsorption capacity compared to traditional modeling.

Insights into the Applications of Natural Fibers to Metal Separation from Aqueous Solutions

There is a wide range of renewable materials with attractive prospects for the development of green technologies for the removal and recovery of metals from aqueous streams. A special category among them are natural fibers of biological origin, which combine remarkable biosorption properties with the adaptability of useful forms for cleanup and recycling purposes. To support the efficient exploitation of these advantages, this article reviews the current state of research on the potential and real applications of natural cellulosic and protein fibers as biosorbents for the sequestration of metals from aqueous solutions. The discussion on the scientific literature reports is made in sections that consider the classification and characterization of natural fibers and the analysis of performances of lignocellulosic biofibers and wool, silk, and human hair waste fibers to the metal uptake from diluted aqueous solutions. Finally, future research directions are recommended. Compared to other reviews, this work debates, systematizes, and correlates the available data on the metal biosorption on plant and protein biofibers, under non-competitive and competitive conditions, from synthetic, simulated, and real solutions, providing a deep insight into the biosorbents based on both types of eco-friendly fibers.

Evaluation of acyclovir adsorption on granular activated carbon from aqueous solutions: batch and fixed-bed parametric studies

The present study is aimed to assess the adsorptive potential of carbonaceous material for the acyclovir (ACVR) removal from the aquatic environment using batch and fixed-bed processes. In batch mode, the impact of various process conditions (contact time, pH, adsorbent dose, initial ACVR concentration, and temperature) on ACVR adsorption was investigated. Experimental results revealed that Langmuir isotherm and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model adequately represent the ACVR adsorption mechanism, indicating homogeneous adsorption. The process was found exothermic and spontaneous. Thermodynamic studies concluded that adsorption is a result of both physisorption and chemisorption. To understand the dynamic regime for the design of large-scale column studies, experimental data obtained from breakthrough curve were fitted to various analytical kinetic models. Yan model followed by Thomas model demonstrated a greater correlation of breakthrough data, confirming that the results are significant and are in line with Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic. G-AC exhibits sufficient adsorption capacity for ACVR. Hence, it is concluded that it can be used in a fixed-bed column in continuous mode for the treatment of ACVR-contaminated wastewater.

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11696-023-02810-7.

The Dynamic Behaviour of a Binary Adsorbent in a Fixed Bed Column for the Removal of Pb2+ Ions from Contaminated Water Bodies

In the search for a technically efficient and abundant adsorbent in water treatment processes, a bio-composite adsorbent derived from agricultural wastes has been identified as a potential candidate. In this study, eggshells and sugarcane bagasse were combined in varied proportions (1:0, 1:3, 1:1, 3:1 and 0:1) and applied as biosorbents in a lab-scale adsorption column. The effect of bed depth (4–12 cm) of the biosorbents was investigated which enabled the prediction of breakthrough curves for the removal of Pb (II) ions. The life span of the column was extended by increasing the bed depth of the column. The binary adsorbent of 1:3 weight ratio of <75 µm particle size showcased the highest removal efficiency of 91% at a bed depth of 12 cm. The mass transfer zone (MTZ) increased with increasing bed depth with a minor portion of the bed left unused, signifying that the process was highly efficient. The Thomas model constant, KTh, decreased with increasing bed depth with the maximum amount of Pb adsorbed being 28.27 mg/g. With the Yoon–Nelson model, KYN decreased with an increase in τ as the bed height increased. In this study, a novel approach was adopted where the proposed methodology enabled the use of a bio-composite adsorbent in heavy metal removal. The findings of this research will aid in the design and optimisation of the pilot-scale operation of environmentally friendly treatment options for metal laden effluent.

Removal of boron by a modified resin in fixed bed column: Breakthrough curve analysis using dynamic adsorption models and artificial neural network model

Continuous removal of toxic element boron from aqueous solution was investigated with new phenolic hydroxyl modified resin (T-resin) using a fixed bed column reactor operated under various flow rates, bed height and influent concentrations. The breakthrough time, exhaustion time and uptake capacity of the column bed increased with increasing column bed height, whereas decreased with increasing influent flow rate. The breakthrough time and exhaustion time decreased, but uptake capacity increased with increasing influent concentration, and actual uptake capacity was obtained as 6.52 mg/g at a concentration of 7.64 mg/L. The three conventional models of bed depth service time (BDST), Thomas and Yoon-Nelson were used to appropriately predict the whole breakthrough behavior of the column and to estimate the characteristic model parameters for boron removal. However, artificial neural network (ANN) model was more accurate than the conventional models with the least relative error and the highest correlation coefficients. By the relative importance of the operational parameters obtained from ANN model, the sequence is as follows: total effluent time > initial concentration > flow rate > column height. The adsorption capacity of boron was changed between 5.24 and 1.74 mg/g during the five time regeneration. From the life factor calculation, it is suggested that the column bed could avoid the breakthrough time of t = 0 for 6.8 cycles, whereas, the uptake capacity would be zero after 7.8 cycles.

Three porous shapeable three-component hydrogen-bonded covalent-organic aerogels as backfill materials in a simulated permeable reactive barrier (PRB) for trapping levofloxacin

Levofloxacin (LEV) infiltrated in groundwater has threatened the safety of drinking water. For in-situ remediation of LEV-contaminated groundwater, there exists a main challenge of exploiting proper high efficient backfill medium in utilizing charming permeable reactive barriers (PRBs). Herein, three porous shapeable three-component hydrogen-bonded covalent organic aerogels (H_COA-1, H_COA-2 and H_COA-3) were fabricated based on a multiple-linking-site strategy to evaluate for adsorptive removal of LEV. The three H_COAs exhibited satisfactory performance in LEV adsorption that could integrate high adsorption capacity, good antiion interference, excellent recyclability and wide pH tolerance. The different regularity of kinetics and isotherms of three H_COAs signified that electrostatic effect, pore preservation, hydrogen bonding probably govern the adsorption process in combination, coupling with π-π electron-donor-acceptor (EDA), dipole-dipole and hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction besides. In addition, the response surface methodology (RSM) was employed for studying the single and synergetic effects of selected variables and optimizing operation conditions. Furthermore, a laboratory PRB column packed with processable H_COA-2 was set up to investigate the LEV removal, and the breakthrough data was explained by Adams-Bohart, Thomas, BDST and Yoon-Nelson models. We believe could hopefully bring H_COAs into the real in-situ remediation of such challenging and persistent LEV-polluted groundwater with further massive-scale efficiently.

Deeper Insights into the Bohart-Adams Model in a Fixed-Bed Column

The Bohart-Adams model was one of the most widely used breakthrough models in column experiments. However, it usually provided a poor fit for the modeling of an asymmetric breakthrough curve. This work proposed the n-order Bohart-Adams and fractal-like Bohart-Adams models. The former indicated a nonlinear decay process of the concentration of the adsorbate or residual capacity of the adsorbent, while the latter reflected a diffusion-limited process on the heterogeneous surfaces. The Bohart-Adams and modified Bohart-Adams models were mathematically equivalent. The applicability of the n-order Bohart-Adams and fractal-like Bohart-Adams models was validated by norfloxacin and Cu(II) adsorption in a fixed-bed column. Compared with the Bohart-Adams model, the two new models had better fitting performance with higher R² and lower χ² values, and all of the residuals were randomly distributed. The fractal-like Bohart-Adams and modified dose-response models provided the best fitting quality for the adsorption of Cu(II) (R² = 0.9956 and χ² = 7.56 × 10^-4) and norfloxacin (R² = 0.9991 and χ² = 1.37 × 10^-4), respectively. This work may provide a practical method for the modeling of the asymmetric breakthrough curves.

Mechanism and industrial application feasibility analysis on microwave-assisted rapid synthesis of amino-carboxyl functionalized cellulose for enhanced heavy metal removal

The study presented the successful microwave-assisted (MW-assisted) preparation of a novel adsorbent derived from rice straw (RS_MW-AC) and explored its adsorption performance toward heavy metal ions from water. The RS_MW-AC was rapidly synthesized through pretreatment and one step grafting via the MW-assisted approach. The quantitative predictive correlations between target performance of RS_MW-AC and process parameters were obtained through the response surface methodology (RSM). Meanwhile, the optimal preparation process conditions were determined: NaOH solution concentration, 20%; MW irradiation temperature for pretreatment, 100 and 150 °C; MW irradiation time for pretreatment and grafting, 10 and 60 min; EDTAD-RS mass ratio, 3. The RS_MW-AC showed a good adsorption of different heavy metal ions from water (152.39, 55.46, 52.91, 35.60 and 20.11 mg g^-1 for Pb(Ⅱ), Mn(Ⅱ), Cd(Ⅱ), Cu(Ⅱ) and Ni(Ⅱ), respectively). The adsorption behaviors followed the Langmuir model and pseudo second-order kinetics model with a highly significant correlation. Also of note was that amino and carboxyl groups were successfully introduced on the rice straw based on characterization results. Furthermore, preparation mechanism was explored to reveal reasons why microwave irradiation could accelerate the preparation of the adsorbent; its adsorption process was dominated by electrostatic attraction and chelation. Finally, the study made the industrial application feasibility analysis of MW-assisted approach used for pretreatment and graft reaction of agro-waste biomass.

gPROMS-driven modeling and simulation of fixed bed adsorption of heavy metals on a biosorbent: benchmarking and case study

Adsorptive separation of heavy metals from wastewater is a viable approach to reuse it and avoid environmental pollution. The productive employment of adsorptive separation at a commercial scale, however, relies on the optimized conditions of an adsorber bed holding maximum and selective isolation of the heavy metals. The experimental route includes a significant trial and error approach, is time-consuming, involves operating cost, and remains economically unattractive. Contrarily, simulation of a mathematical model mimicking the adsorption system along with experimental validation can significantly minimize optimization efforts and suggests the best conditions of separation. In this work, a convective-dispersive model and adsorption model for fixed bed adsorption of copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), and cadmium (Cd) metals over wheat bran biosorbent are simulated using the gPROMS tool for benchmarking. The influence of feed flow rate, bed height, and metal concentration is studied, and breakthrough profiles of all heavy metals are predicted and matched with the literature. The error values (R² and RMSE) and Chi-squared values determined from gPROMS simulations matched well with the previously available MATLAB-simulated data. After a successful benchmarking, we modeled pilot-scale adsorption of Cr on coconut coir (or Biosorbent) in a gPROMS simulation environment. A detailed method and algorithm of gPROMS simulation for Cr isolation is provided. The influence of feed flow rate, bed height, and initial metal concentration is studied on the breakthrough curves of the Cr. The optimum operating condition for the pilot-scale isolation of Cr from the water is suggested. The parameters, such as the axial dispersion coefficient and distribution coefficient, are determined.

Removal of Cr(VI) and methyl orange by activated carbon fiber supported nanoscale zero-valent iron in a continuous fixed bed column

The application of activated carbon fiber supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (ACF-nZVI) in the continuous removal of Cr(VI) and methyl orange (MO) from aqueous solution was studied in depth. The breakthrough curves of Cr(VI) in a fixed bed with ACF-nZVI were measured, and compared with those in the fixed bed with ACF. The catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) process for MO was also carried out using ACF-nZVI after reacting with Cr(VI) in the same fixed bed. The results showed that the breakthrough time of ACF-nZVI was significantly longer than that of ACF. Higher pH values were unfavorable for the Cr(VI) removal. The breakthrough time increased with decreasing inlet Cr(VI) concentration or increasing bed height. The Yoon-Nelson and bed depth service time (BDST) models were found to show good agreement with the experimental data. The Cr(VI) removal capacity when using ACF-nZVI was two times higher than that when using ACF. Under the optimal empty bed contact time of 1.256 min, the fixed bed displayed high MO conversion (99.2%) and chemical oxygen demand removal ratio (55.7%) with low Fe leaching concentration (<5 mg/L) after continuous running for 240 min. After three cycles, the conversion of MO remained largely unchanged.

Fixed-bed adsorption of copper from aqueous media using chitosan-coated bentonite, chitosan-coated sand, and chitosan-coated kaolinite

Fixed-bed studies were performed to evaluate the removal efficiency of copper (Cu(II)) from aqueous solution using chitosan-coated bentonite (CCB), chitosan-coated sand (CCS), and chitosan-coated kaolinite (CCK). The thermal and morphological properties of CCB, CCK, and CCS were characterized using thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method. Dynamic experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of solution pH (3.0 to 5.0) and initial Cu(II) concentration (200 to 1000 mg/L) on the time to reach breakthrough (t_b), total volume of treated effluent (V_eff), and adsorption capacity at breakthrough (q_b). Results show that increasing the initial Cu(II) concentration inhibits the column performance where lower V_eff, t_b, and q_b were obtained. Decreasing the pH from 5.0 to 3.0 led to improved removal efficiency with higher values of V_eff, t_b, and q_b. Under pH 3.0 and 200 mg/L, the maximum removal efficiency of 68.60%, 56.10%, and 58.90% for Cu(II) was attained using CCB, CCS, and CCK, respectively. The Thomas model was determined to adequately predict the breakthrough curves based on high values of coefficient of determination (R² ≥ 0.8503). Regeneration studies were carried out using 0.1 M HCl and 0.1 M NaOH solution in the saturated column of CCB, CCK, and CCS.

Macroscopic Poly Schiff Base-Coated Bacteria Cellulose with High Adsorption Performance

Here, a nanofiber-exfoliated bacteria cellulose aerogel with improved water affinity and high mass transfer was synthesized. Consequently, poly Schiff base can be uniformly coated within the body of bacteria cellulose aerogel without the traditional dispersion treatment. The composite aerogel has adequate mechanical and thermal stability and high mass transfer efficiency. Such an aerogel can serve as a superior adsorbent for flow through adsorption of pollution. Typically, the adsorption capacity towards Cr(VI), Cu(II), Re(VII), Conga red, and Orange G reaches as high as 321.5, 256.4, 153.8, 333.3, and 370.3 mg g-1, respectively. Moreover, the adsorption by this composite aerogel is very fast, such that, for example, at just 2 s, the adsorption is almost finished with Cr(VI) adsorption. Moreover, the composite aerogel exhibits a good adsorption-desorption capability. This research will hopefully shed light on the preparation of bacteria cellulose-derived macroscopic materials powerful in not only environmental areas, but also other related applications.

Synthesis of green marine algal-based biochar for remediation of arsenic(V) from contaminated waters in batch and column mode of operation

The sorption behavior of biochar derived from green seaweed (Ulva reticulata) toward arsenic(V) ions was explored in both batch and continuous modes. The pH edge experiments indicated optimum arsenic(V) sorption observed at pH 4, with maximum sorptional capacity of 7.67 mg/g through isotherm experiments. The kinetic experimental trials indicated that arsenic(V) sorption onto biochar was a fast electrostatic attraction process, with maximum removal occurred within 30 min. The sorption isotherms were modeled using the Toth, Redlich-Peterson, Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models while the adsorption kinetics was modeled using the pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order kinetic equations. The three-parameter models (Redlich-Peterson and Toth) better described the isotherm data, whereas pseudo-first-order model represented kinetic data well with low error and high correlation coefficient values. Among the different alkaline and acidic elutants investigated, the solution of 0.01 M NaOH effectively desorbed arsenic(V) from spent biochar. The feasibility of the biochar in continuous remediation of arsenic(V) from contaminated waters was explored in an up-flow fixed column. The biochar exhibited arsenic(V) removal efficiency and sorptional uptake of 59.5% and 8.12 mg/g, respectively. The biochar-loaded column was effectively desorbed using NaOH (0.01 M), with desorption efficiency of 99.5%.

A novel sorbent Ulva lactuca-derived biochar for remediation of Remazol Brilliant Orange 3R in packed column

An up-flow fixed column study was conducted to remediate Remazol Brilliant Orange 3R (RBO3R) from contaminated solutions using biochar derived from Ulva lactuca biomass. The influences of column parameters on dye sorption were studied in detail, which include initial RBO3R concentration, bed depth, and flow rate. Optimization experiments indicated that maximum RBO3R column uptake of 0.114 mmol/g was observed at 0.25 mmol/L (initial RBO3R concentration), 0.3 L/hr (flow rate), and 25 cm (U. lactuca bed depth). Modeling of column sorption data was performed using the Yoon-Nelson, modified dose-response and Thomas models. The spent biochar was desorbed and rejuvenated using 0.01 M NaOH. The elutant (0.01 M NaOH) exhibited 99.7% efficiency, and the process was completed in 115 min with high overall concentration factor of 8.4. PRACTITIONER POINTS: This study explores the impact of column parameters on the dye removal potential of U. lactuca-derived biochar. At optimized condition, the biochar bed exhibited highest Remazol Brilliant Orange 3R uptake capacity of 0.114 mmol/g. The regeneration and desorption of U. lactuca-derived biochar bed was possible with NaOH (0.01 M) as elutant.

The adsorption of phosphate using a magnesia-pullulan composite: kinetics, equilibrium, and column tests

A magnesia-pullulan (MgOP) composite has been developed to remove phosphate from a synthetic solution. In the present study, the removal of phosphate by MgOP was evaluated in both a batch and dynamic system. The batch experiments investigated the initial pH effect on the phosphate removal efficiency from pH 3 to 12 and the effect of co-existing anions. In addition, the adsorption isotherms, thermodynamics, and kinetics were also investigated. The results from the batch experiments indicate that MgOP has encouraging performance for the adsorption of phosphate, while the initial pH value (3-12) had a negligible influence on the phosphate removal efficiency. Analysis of the adsorption thermodynamics demonstrated that the phosphate removal process was endothermic and spontaneous. Investigations into the dynamics of the phosphate removal process were carried out using a fixed bed of MgOP, and the resulting breakthrough curves were used to describe the column phosphate adsorption process at various bed masses, volumetric flow rates, influent phosphate concentrations, reaction temperatures, and inlet pH values. The results suggest that the adsorption of phosphate on MgOP was improved using an increased bed mass, while the reaction temperature did not significantly affect the performance of the MgOP bed during the phosphate removal process. Furthermore, higher influent phosphate concentrations were beneficial towards increasing the column adsorption capacity for phosphate. Several mathematic models, including the Adams-Bohart, Wolboska, Yoon-Nelson, and Thomas models, were employed to fit the fixed-bed data. In addition, the effluent concentration of magnesium ions was measured and the regeneration of MgOP investigated.

Efficient and Selective Adsorption of Gold Ions from Wastewater with Polyaniline Modified by Trimethyl Phosphate: Adsorption Mechanism and Application

The selective recovery of gold from wastewater is necessary because it is widely used in various fields. In this study, a new polymeric adsorbent (TP-AFC) was prepared by modifying polyaniline with trimethyl phosphate for the selective recovery of gold from wastewater. Bath experiments were carried out to explore the adsorption capacity and mechanism. The optimum pH of adsorption is 4. The adsorption equilibrium is reached at 840 min. The maximum adsorption capacity is 881 mg/g and the adsorption was a spontaneous endothermic process. The adsorption process fitted well with pseudo second-order kinetic and the Langmuir-models. The single-layer chemisorption governed the adsorption process. In addition, the application in wastewater indicated that the interfering ions had no effect on the adsorption of gold ions. TP-AFC has good selectivity. The interaction mechanism was mainly ion exchange and complexation. In general, TP-AFC was successfully prepared and has an excellent future in practical application.

Investigation on synthesis of ion-imprinted mesoporous adsorbents by using ultrasound- and microwave-assisted preparation and their dynamic adsorption properties on heavy metals

Removal of the heavy metal ions in aqueous solution is an important technology for waste water treatment. The effects of using ultrasonic and microwave on synthesizing Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Cu²⁺ imprinted mesoporous adsorbents (Pb-IMA-UM, Zn-IMA-UM, and Cu-IMA-UM) and their dynamic adsorption properties were studied. The microstructure and composition of the ion-imprinted mesoporous adsorbents were discussed in detail by TEM, FTIR, N₂ adsorption-desorption, XRD, and EDS. The pore sizes of mesoporous absorbents were improved more uniformly by using ultrasonic agitation than magnetic stirring. The elution efficiency of imprinting ions can be enhanced by microwave elution. Prepared Pb-IMA-UM, Zn-IMA-UM, and Cu-IMA-UM were used for dynamic adsorption study of heavy metals. The detected optimal feed rate was 20.0 mL/min and the influent concentration was 60 mg/L; the equilibrium adsorption capacities of Pb-IMA-UM, Cu-IMA-UM, and Zn-IMA-UM could reach 198 mg/g, 51.5 mg/g, and 57.3 mg/g, respectively. The dynamic regeneration performance of the adsorbent was also investigated with the Cu-IMA-UM sample. The adsorption rate remained above 89% after five dynamic regeneration experiments. At last, the actual wastewater from an electroplating industry was used as the research object. Three groups of dynamic adsorption coefficient contours of Pb-IMA-UM, Zn-IMA-UM, and Cu-IMA-UM were obtained when influents flowed into three adsorption columns separately. The experimental results showed that an ion-imprinted adsorbent had a much better adsorption capacity of imprinted ions under the various metals mixed conditions.