1. Introduction
Lead (Pb), one of the most ubiquitously spread toxic metals [1,2],
can be released into the environment from geogenic (e.g., dissolution
of mineral ores) and anthropogenic sources (e.g., industrial
effluents) [3,4]. Pb accumulating in bones, muscles, kidney and
brain interferes with the normal physical activity, and causes mental
retardation, kidney disease and anaemia, etc. [5]. Due to its high
toxicity, a lot of effort has been expended on developing techniques
to effectively remove Pb from water [6–10]. Among these techniques,
adsorption using waste biomass is a promising method for
treating various concentrations of Pb contaminated water because
of its low cost and minimized amount of toxic sludge [11]. A variety
of waste biomass has been reported for efficiently accumulating
and removing heavy metals [12,13]