Dye removal from aqueous solution using low cost adsorbent

Abstract

The use of cheap and eco-friendly adsorbents studied as an alternative substitution of activated carbon for removal of dyes from wastewater. Adsorbents prepared from orange peel, which is a domestic waste, successfully used to remove the methylene blue from an aqueous solution in a batch wise column. This study investigates the potential use of orange peel, pretreated with nominal treatment method, for removal of methylene blue from simulated wastewater. Treated orange peel used to adsorb methylene blue at varying dye concentration, adsorbent dosage, pH and contact time. Similar experiments conducted with some other lowcost adsorbent such as banana peel, neem leaves and commercially available powdered activated carbon (PAC). The adsorption capacity of orange peels decreased in the order of methyl orange (MO) > methylene blue (MB) > Rhodamine B (RB) > Congo red (CR) > methyl violet (MV) > amido black lOB (AB). Removal efficiency of all the adsorbents is quite effective, but orange peel found to be very effective compared to other low cost adsorbent within the short period. The sorption data were then correlated with the freundlich and the langmuir adsorption isotherm models. In both isotherms exhibited a maximum K value in which indicates that the orange peel has greater affinity for methylene blue. The maximum color removal efficiencies of orange peel at dosage of l.Og for time duration of 45 min found to be 99% of the dye from an aqueous solution of 12.32 ppm. From the study it is understood that pH, contact time and adsorbent dosage plays a vital role in removal of dye.