Characterization of waste roots from the As hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata as low-cost adsorbent for Methylene Blue removal

Modification of biochar by phosphoric acid via wet pyrolysis and using it for adsorption of methylene blue

Algae biochar (ABC), coconut shell biochar (CSBC), and coconut coat biochar (CCBC) were prepared by wet pyrolysis in a phosphoric acid solvent under normal pressure. Materials were characterized for their micromorphology, specific surface area, and surface functional groups by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) nitrogen adsorption-desorption spectrum technique and Fourier transform infrared diffraction (FT-IR). The evaluation of the liquid-phase adsorption performance using methylene blue (MB) as a pigment model, and the effects of temperature, pH, adsorbent dosage, and pollutant concentration of the MB adsorption onto modified biochars were fully investigated. The adsorption mechanism was proposed based on the adsorption kinetics curve and adsorption isotherm. The synthetic biochar showed great adsorption properties toward cationic dyes rather than anionic dyes. Specifically, the adsorption abilities for algal biochar, coconut shell biochar, and coconut coat biochar were determined to be 97.5%, 95.4% and 21.2%, respectively. The isothermal adsorption of MB by the three kinds of biochar conformed to the Langmuir equation, and the adsorption process fitted to the quasi-second-order kinetic equation, which suggested that ABC and CSBC effectively adsorbed MB dye molecules through hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, and electrostatic interactions.

Effective decontamination of methylene blue from aqueous solutions using novel nano-magnetic biochar from green pea peels

The conversion of agricultural waste into high-value carbon products has been an attractive area in waste management strategy. This study highlighted the synthesis and effectiveness of green pea peels (GPP), green pea biochar (GPBC), and nano-ferromagnetic green pea biochar (NFGPBC) by the ferrous/ferric co-precipitation synthesis method for eliminating cationic dyes molecules from solutions. The morphological, physicochemical, and structural properties of GPP, GPBC, and NFGPBC were approved by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Emission Microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Bruneau Emmett Teller (BET), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques. Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM) analysis confirmed the NFGPBC magnetization performance. The capacity of each adsorbent for methylene blue removal was evaluated at various parameters of material dosage (50-250 mg/150 mL), pH (2-12), initial concentration (50-250 mg/L), contact time (0-90 min) and temperature (20-60 °C). The three developed adsorbent materials GPP, GPBC, and NFGPBC, possessed reasonable BET surface areas of 0.6836, 372.54, and 147.88 m2g-1, and the corresponding monolayer adsorption capacities of 163.93, 217.40, and 175.44 mg/g, respectively. The superior performances of GPBC and NFGPBC were due to their increased surface area compared with the parent green pea peels (GPP). The results from adsorption kinetics studies of all prepared materials were pseudo-second-order and Elovich kinetics models. The thermodynamic parameters exhibited MB sorption's favorability, spontaneity, and endothermic nature. The NFGPBC material experienced Vander Waal forces, electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions as predominant modes of the solid-liquid interaction. The regeneration, recycling, and reusability of the synthesized GPP, GPBC, and NFGPBC performed at five adsorption cycles revealed that NFGPBC demonstrated excellent cyclical performances attaining a minimum 8.9% loss in capacity due to paramagnetic properties. Thus, NFGPBC is a green, efficient, and eco-friendly material recommended for large-scale production and application in wastewater.

Removal of Methylene Blue from Wastewater by Waste Roots from the Arsenic-Hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata: Fixed Bed Adsorption Kinetics

Phytoremediation of arsenic-contaminated water was successfully conducted by means of the perennial fern Pteris vittate, which is an arsenic-hyperaccumulator plant able to grow in hydroponic cultures. In order to avoid the costs linked to the disposal of As-contaminated biomass, in this work, Pteris vittata waste roots were tested as a low-cost bio-adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from water in a fixed-bed adsorption configuration. As a matter of fact, methylene blue can negatively impact the growth and health of algae and plants by blocking light from reaching them in water, which can alter their normal biological processes. Previous works have already shown the potentiality of such material toward the uptake of methylene blue; however, all the studies conducted were just focused on batch-mode experiments. In this work, column runs were carried out at 20 °C, evaluating the bed void fraction for each test and hence estimating the apparent density of the material (300 g/L). The breakthrough curves collected were fitted by means of a mathematical model based on the linear driving force (LDF) approximation to obtain information on the mass transfer mechanism occurring in the system. A relation for the product between the LDF mass transfer coefficient and the solid specific surface (kLDFas) with respect to the Reynolds (Re) dimensionless number was obtained (kLDFas=0.45Re). The range of validity of such expression was Re<0.025. Its applicability was deeply discussed: in such conditions, the technology is ready to be tested at larger scales.

Effect of Water-Ethanol Extraction as Pre-Treatment on the Adsorption Properties of Aloe vera Waste

The adsorption properties of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) for the uptake of Methylene Blue (MB) from water were investigated after pre-treating the material with water-ethanol solutions at different ethanol concentrations: 0% v/v (AV0), 25% v/v (AV25), and 50% v/v (AV50). The pre-treated materials were characterized as follows: the pHZC was evaluated to be 6, 5.7, and 7.2 for AV0, AV25, and AV50, respectively; from BET-BJH analysis the mesoporous nature of the material and an increase from 108.2 (AV0) to 331.7 (AV50) m²/kg of its solid surface area was observed; TG analysis revealed a significat increase in volatile compounds from the untreated (5.4%) to the treated materials (8.9%, 10.3%, and 11.3% for AV0, AV25, and AV50, respectively). Adsorption batch tests were then performed to investigate the equilibrium, the kinetics, and the thermodynamics of the process. Results suggested that the Langmuir model was in agreement with the experimental results, and values for q_max of 199 mg/g, 311 mg/g, and 346 mg/g were calculated for AV0, AV25, and AV50, respectively. The kinetic results were used to develop a mathematical model to estimate the effective diffusion coefficient for each type of Aloe adopted. Effective diffusion coefficients of 5.43·10^-7 cm²/min, 3.89·10^-7 cm²/min, and 5.78·10^-7 cm²/min were calculated for AV0, AV25, and AV50, respectively. It was found that pre-treatment, on the one hand, enhances the adsorption capacity of the material and on the other, reduces its affinity toward MB uptake.