Synthesis and performance evaluation of a magnetic biocoagulant in the removal of reactive black 5 dye in aqueous medium

Abstract

In this study, a biocoagulant synthesized from the association of iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles and Moringa oleifera Lam (MO) extract was tested in different concentrations for the removal of the apparent colour and dye concentration (reactive black 5) of synthetic textile wastewater. Coagulation/flocculation process was performed and followed by magnetic sedimentation in Jar-Test equipment, the operational parameters studied were sedimentation time and biocoagulant dosage. The efficiency of the C/F/S process was determined by analysing the apparent colour and RB5 concentration, and removals of 93.7% apparent colour and 96.2% RB5 concentration were observed after 20 min of magnetic sedimentation. Reuse tests were performed, which indicated that the biocoagulant and the resulting sludge from the process could be used again for synthesis and used for three consecutive cycles without drastically reducing efficiency (69% for colour removal and 70% for dye concentration). All analyses were conducted considering 95% confidence level. Thus, the proposed biocoagulant demonstrated high potential for the removal of the evaluated parameters in the treatment of textile wastewater due to its high efficiency, simple and fast preparation, and its environmentally friendly qualities.