Abstract
Yerba mate (Ilex paraguarensis, YM) was used as biomaterial for the removal of anionic and cationic compounds from wastewater. Chromium hexavalent Cr(VI), Remazol brilliant blue (RBB) and methylene blue (MB) were selected as pollutants. A calcination step was performed after the washing and drying steps to evaluate its effectiveness at increasing the adsorption capacity of the solid. Both YM and calcinated YM (CYM) were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. Adsorption batch tests revealed that YM was ineffective for the removal of Cr(VI) and RBB, while good results were obtained for MB (up to 80%) without pH dependency of the adsorption process, and CYM was able to remove Cr(VI) (up to 77%) and RBB (up to 65%) but not MB. The adsorption isotherm of MB on YM at 298 K was obtained experimentally and it is well represented by the Langmuir isotherm. YM’s adsorption capacity for MB was estimated to be 59.6 mg/g. Kinetic batch tests were conducted and the experimental results were fitted with a mathematical model. The low influence of temperature compared to the influence of the YM concentration on the adsorption rate was explained.
Highlights
IntroductionWith the development of urbanization and industrialization, water pollution has become a major environmental concern
Water is an essential element for life and it is mandatory to preserve its quality
Validation that the limiting step of the process is the inter-particle pore diffusion [52]: Based on the results previously reported, it is evident that the Langmuir isotherm best represents the equilibrium of the system
Summary
With the development of urbanization and industrialization, water pollution has become a major environmental concern. The release of harmful substances from different anthropogenic sources can compromise water quality [1]. The textile and leather sectors are responsible for the release of organic compounds such as pigments and dyes that compromise the quality of water by decreasing the penetration of light or gas dissolution, inhibiting the biological photosynthetic process [2,3]. Dyes are co-present with heavy metals, which is another category of pollutants with dangerous effects on the health of biological species, even at low concentrations, in the aquatic system [4]. Long-term exposure to, heavy metals cause several health
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