Removal of basic dyes from textile wastewaters using sawdust obtained from walnut
R. Ansari, M. A. Zanjanchi, A. Mohammadkhah and Z. Mosayebzadeh
Abstract
In this study a very low cost and environmental friendly adsorbent for treatment of textile wastewater is introduced. Sawdust (SD) obtained from walnut has been employed to remove methylene blue (MB) as a typical basic dye (cationic) from aqueous solutions. The operating variables studied were initial solution pH, adsorbent mass, initial dye concentration and contact time. In order to have a good comparison, a commercial grade of granulated activated carbon (Merck) was also used in this investigation. The experimental data were analyzed by the Langmuir and Freundlich models of adsorption. In order to find out the possibility of desorption for frequent application, the chemical regeneration of the used column was also investigated. It was found that the adsorbent used in this investigation (SD) is an environmentally friendly, abundant, cost effective and efficient material for removing of basic dyes from textile wastewaters.
Keywords: Removal, textile, wastewater, methylene blue, sawdust, activated carbon