Removal of nitrate from aqueous solution by using orange peel and wheat straw

Abstract

Increasing nitrate contamination in water bodies causing various human health and environmental challenges. Nitrate enters the human body through the drinking water and causes number of health issues such as methaemoglobinemia, gastric cancer, hormonal imbalance disorder, birth malformations, hypertention etc. when present in high concentration in drinking water. Hence there is strong need for economic and ecofriendly technology to treat the excess nitrate from water.There are chemical and physical methods are available for removal of nitrate but as compare to such methods biological methods are considered to be an effective solution due to its low cost, easy availability and high efficiency. The present study aims to examine the efficiency of orange peel and wheat straw an adsorbent for removal of nitrate from aqueous solution. The batch method was used to study the adsorption. The obtained results from the batch experiment have shown the ability of both the adsorbents in removing nitrate. The optimum bio-adsorption of nitrate over orange peel and wheat straw bio-adsorbent was obtained at contact time = 3 hr., Quantity of adsorbent = 3 g and initial concentration = 700 mg/l. Obtained results from batch experiment found that the orange peel is more efficient than wheat straw for nitrate removal. Adsorption isotherm was described by Langmuir isotherm model and model fitted well.Therefore, the adsorbents are efficient and cost effective in the treatment of nitrate contaminated water.