Isothermal and thermodynamical modeling of removing cationic dyes through biosorption using simple and chemically modified eugenia jambolana seeds as biosorbent

Abstract

As biosorption is emerging as new waste water technique, the surge for new biosorbents is also increasing. Researchers are not only finding novel biosorbents, but they are also trying to modify them in order to enhance their biosorption capacity. In this study, the removal of methylene blue and brilliant green dyes from water had been studied using Eugenia jambolana seeds as biosorbent. Various factors which control the rate of biosorption process like biosorbent dose, pH of the dye solution, contact time interval, agitation rate and temperature are studied. Maximum biosorption capacity of chemically modified Eugenia jambolana seeds was 32.34 and 40.14 mg/g for methylene blue and Brilliant green dyes, respectively. Heats of biosorption were 6.5 and 9.21 kJ/mol for methylene blue and brilliant green dyes, respectively. Chemical modification of these seeds was made with tartaric acid in order to enhance their biosorption capacity. Desorption and thermodynamical parameters were also investigated. The results revealed that Eugenia jambolana seeds can be an effective biosorbent for removing dyes from waste water.