Abstract
In this study, simultaneous adsorption of cationic dyes was investigated by using binary component solutions. Thiourea-modified poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid) (TMPAA) polymer was used as an adsorbent for uptake of cationic dyes (malachite green, MG and methylene blue, MB) from aqueous solution in a binary system. Adsorption tests revealed that TMPAA presented high adsorption of MG and MB at higher pH and higher dye concentrations. It suggested that there are strong electrostatic attractions between the surface functional groups of the adsorbent and cationic dyes. The equilibrium analyses explain that both extended Langmuir and extended models are suitable for the description of adsorption data in the binary system. An antagonistic effect was found, probably due to triangular (MG) and linear (MB) molecular structures that mutually hinder the adsorption of both dyes on TMPAA. Besides, the kinetic studies for sorption of MG and MB dyes onto adsorbent were better represented by a pseudo-second-order model, which demonstrates chemisorption between the polymeric TMPAA adsorbent and dye molecules. According to experimental findings, TMPAA is an attractive adsorbent for treatment of wastewater containing multiple cationic dyes.
Highlights
Rapid growth in population and industrial activities have ensued in accumulation of pollutants in the environment due to their waste disposal without any treatment [1,2]
Thiourea-modified poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid) (TMPAA) was spherical with rough surface area as observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image
Mesoporous features of the TMPAA were confirmed by its BET surface area and pore size of 26.31 m2 /g and 47.93 nm, respectively
Summary
Rapid growth in population and industrial activities have ensued in accumulation of pollutants in the environment due to their waste disposal without any treatment [1,2]. It is reported that about 1.2 trillion tons of non-treated industrial wastewater and storm water are discharged into the environment per annum [3,4]. Industries such as paint, textile, paper, rubber, leather, petroleum, pharmaceutical, and food are major contributors, enhancing the concentration of contaminant present. Over 100,000 synthetic dyes—cationic, anionic and dispersive—have been broadly used in the aforementioned industries generating volumes of wastewater annually They are by design highly stable molecules not easy to biodegrade, made to resist degradation by chemical, biological, and light exposure, as well as their multifarious chemical structure [9]. Some cationic dye-bearing wastewater breaks down into hazardous aromatic amines, causing critical health problems to animals and humans [12]
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