Removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution by activative carbon prepared from the peel of Cucumis sativa fruit by adsorption

Abstract

The use of low-cost, locally available, highly efficient, and eco-friendly adsorbents has been investigated as an ideal alternative to the current expensive methods of removing dyes from wastewater. This study investigates the potential use of activated carbon prepared from the peel of Cucumis sativa fruit for the removal of methylene blue (MB) dye from simulated wastewater. The effects of different system variables, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, pH, and contact time were investigated, and optimal experimental conditions were ascertained. The results showed that as the amount of the adsorbent increased, the percentage of dye removal increased accordingly. The optimum pH for dye adsorption was 6.0. Maximum dye was sequestered within 50 min of the start of each experiment. The adsorption of methylene blue followed the pseudo-second-order rate equation and fit the Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushekevich (D-R), and Tempkin equations well. Maximum removal of MB was obtained at pH 6 as 99.79% for adsorbent doses of 0.6 g/ 50 mL and 25 mg/L initial dye concentrations at room temperature. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained from the Langmuir equation was 46.73 mg g-1. The rate of adsorption was found to conform to pseudo-second-order kinetics with a good correlation (R2 > 0.9677) with intraparticle diffusion as one of the rate-determining steps. Activated carbon developed from the peel of Cucumis sativa fruit can be an attractive option for dye removal from wastewater.