Novel acid treated biomass: Applications in Cu2+ scavenging, Rhodamine B/Cu2+ binary solution and real textile effluent treatment

Abstract

A novel adsorbent prepared from the waste of Irvingia gabonensis nut (ADN) was used for scavenging of Cu2+ from aqueous solution. Various adsorption operational parameters were investigated in order to establish the behavior of ADN before further studies. The efficacy of ADN in concurrent removal of rhodamine B (RhB) dye and Cu2+ in a binary solution of RhB/Cu2+ was also investigated. Finally the potency of ADN in the treatment of real textile effluent was ascertained. Optimum adsorption of Cu2+ occurred at pH of 5.5 and high temperature favored Cu2+ removal. Pseudo second order kinetic best described the uptake of Cu2+ onto ADN. Maximum monolayer adsorption capacity was obtained to be 103.09 mg/g. The Dubinin Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm as well as thermodynamic parameter suggests that adsorption of Cu2+ onto ADN was chemical in nature. Percentage removal of Cu2+ in single solution at optimum time was 94.70 % while synergistic effect of RhB moved this to 99.54 % removal in the binary solution. ADN was highly efficient for the removal of dye and other organic pollutants in the real textile effluent with 100 % removal of some organic pollutant