Abstract
The effects of temperature, initial $Pb^{2+}$concentration and initial sludge concentration on the initial $Pb^{2+}$ removal rate and maximal $Pb^{2+}$removal amounts in activated sludge, respectively, were investigated. The removal of $Pb^{2+}$ in activated sludge was proved to be temperature-dependent process. The initial $Pb^{2+}$ removal rate increased from 187.5 to 261.4 mg $Pb^{2+}$/g sludge dry weight min, in response to the promoted temperature from 1$0^{\circ}C$ to 6$0^{\circ}C$, while the maximal $Pb^{2+}$removal amount (78.5 mg $Pb^{2+}$/g sludge dry weight) occurred at 30t . As the initial $Pb^{2+}$concentration increased from 36 to 228 mg $Pb^{2+}$/L at the constant temperature of 30C and initial sludge concentration of 1.5 g sludge dry weight/L, the time to reach an equilibrium state was almost independent of the initial $Pb^{2+}$concentration and the equilibrium $Pb^{2+}$/removal amount was increased Irom 41.9 to 73.6 mg $Pb^{2+}$/g sludge dry weight. On the contrary, the equilbrium $Pb^{2+}$ emoval amount was decreased from 87.7 to 65.3 mg $Pb^{2+}$/g sludge dry weight as the in- crease of initial sludge concentration from 0.22 to 1.76 g sludge dry weight/L.
