Adsorption of anionic dyes from textile wastewater utilizing raw corncob

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Textile wastewater contains toxic dyes, posing economic and health risks.
• Efficient and sustainable dye removal methods are crucial for environmental protection.
• Nature-inspired adsorbents offer a promising alternative to conventional treatment methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of raw corncob as a novel adsorbent for removing methyl red and methyl orange dyes.
• To optimize adsorption parameters and understand the adsorption mechanism.
• To evaluate corncob as a low-cost, eco-friendly biosorbent for anionic dye removal.

Main Methods:

• Adsorption experiments were conducted varying pH, initial dye concentration, adsorbent dosage, temperature, and contact time.
• Surface characterization of corncob was performed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR).
• Adsorption isotherm modeling using Langmuir and Freundlich models was applied to analyze the adsorption process.

Main Results:

• Adsorption capacity increased with contact time and decreased with initial dye concentration.
• Optimal dye uptake was observed at acidic pH (pH 4 for methyl red, pH 1 for methyl orange).
• Langmuir and Freundlich models showed excellent fits (R² > 0.98), indicating homogeneous monolayer adsorption.

Conclusions:

• Raw corncob is a highly efficient, low-cost, and readily available biosorbent for removing anionic dyes from wastewater.
• The adsorption process is effective without requiring any pre-treatment or modification of the corncob.
• Corncob presents a sustainable and viable option for textile dye remediation.