Elimination of Dyes Present in Textile Industry Wastewater Using Adsorbent Materials Prepared from Broccoli Stem

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the adsorption of textile dyes in static systems, using adsorbent materials prepared from broccoli waste collected after harvest. The adsorption capacities of the non-activated lignocellulosic residue (BrocNat), the chemically activated waste using sodium hydroxide (BrocNaOH), the thermally activated at 823 K ash (AshBroc), and the chemically activated carbon using phosphoric acid at 673 K (CarBrocQ) were tested. Aqueous solutions containing cationic and anionic dyes as well as textile effluents generated after the dyeing process of a cotton-processing factory containing vat and reactive dyes were treated. Lignocellulosic materials were only effective in removing dyes when they were found in aqueous solution. The carbonaceous adsorbent CarBrocQ presented removal percentages close to 100% and between 13 and 75% for reactive and vat dyes contained in the effluents respectively. To accomplish the complete elimination of color from effluents containing vat dyes, these were treated before adsorption, using aluminum chlorohydrate and poly(acrylamide-co-sodium acrylate) as coagulant and flocculant agents, respectively. The COD of the effluent containing vat dyes was reduced up to 93% after both treatments were combined, and the removal of color was absolute. The high adsorption capacity of CarBrocQ occurs because of its high specific surface area, which was determined by N2 adsorption to be 1177 m2g-1. In the case of the lignocellulosic material, the specific surface area was determined by means of adsorption of methylene blue, and it was 485 m2g-1 for both. The adsorption capacity of CarBrocQ was compared with that of commercial carbons, and proved to be similar. The adsorption results obtained indicate that broccoli waste can be used to prepare activated carbon with applications in the removal of dyes present in textile effluents.