Removal and recovery of lead in a fluidized-bed reactor by crystallization process

•Removal and recovery of lead occurred practically simultaneously in the FBR.•Removal efficiency > 99% when FBR was seeded with 2.5 g of seed crystal•Highest removal efficiency at 200 mg/L of initial Pb+ 2 concentration

Lead (Pb) is known for its high and long-term toxicity even at very low concentrations and its presence limits the reusability and recyclability of industrial wastewaters. In this study, Pb was recovered from synthetic wastewater as PbCO3 crystals via the fluidized-bed crystallization process. Pb removal exceeded 99% when the operating pH was kept within a range of 8–9 and the carbonate-to-lead molar ratio was set to 3:1. Higher Pb removals were obtained with the gradual reduction of recirculation flow rate. The present study demonstrates the potential of Pb recovery from contaminated wastewaters using fluidized-bed crystallization technology.