Biosorption of Methylene Blue onto spent corncob substrate: kinetics, equilibrium and thermodynamic studies

• Published in: Water science and technology Vol. 63; no. 12; pp. 2775 - 2780
• Main Authors: Zhou, Qi, Gong, W Q, Li, Y B, Chen, S H, Yang, D J, Bai, C P, Liu, X F, Xu, N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England IWA Publishing 01.01.2011
• Subjects: Adsorption; Agricultural wastes; Agriculture; Aqueous solutions; Biosorption; Capacity; Cultivation; Dyes; Endothermic reactions; Fungi; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Kinetics; Methylene blue; Methylene Blue - chemistry; Methylene Blue - isolation & purification; pH effects; Pleurotus ostreatus; Pollutant removal; Pollutants; Reaction kinetics; Removal; Solutions; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; Thermodynamics; Uptake; Wastewater; Wastewater treatment; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical - isolation & purification; Water Purification - methods; White rot; Zea mays - chemistry
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2011.542

This study focuses on the possible use of the spent corncob substrate (SCS), an agricultural waste used after the cultivation of white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus, to adsorb Methylene Blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. A batch adsorption study was carried out with variable solution pH, adsorption time, temperature and initial MB concentration. It was found that MB uptake was favorable at pH ranging from 4.0 to 12.0 and the equilibrium adsorption capacity can be reached promptly within about 180 min. The biosorption data were also calculated by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model. Thermodynamic parameters show that the adsorption is a spontaneous and endothermic process. The study highlighted a new pathway to develop potential low-cost biosorbent for the removal of dye pollutants from wastewater.