UPTAKE OF CATIONIC DYES FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTION BY BIOADSORPTION ONTO GRANULAR CUCUMIS SATIVA

A new, low cost, locally available biomaterial was tested for its ability to remove cationic dyes from aqueous solution. A granule prepared from a fruit peel of Cucumis sativa had been utilized as a adsorbent for uptake of three cationic dyes, methylene blue (MB), methyl red (MR) and malachite green (MG). The effects of various experimental parameters (e.g., contact time, dye concentration, adsorbent dose, particle size and pH) were investigated and optimal experimental conditions were ascertained. Above the value of initial pH 6, three dyes studied could be removed effectively. The sorption isotherms of MR followed the Langmuir and Freundlich models, but the sorption isotherms of MB and MG only fitted the Freundlich model of adsorption. The bioadsorption processes followed the Pseudo –first order rate kinetics. The results in this study indicated that fruit peel of Cucumis sativa was an attractive candidate for removing cationic dyes from the dye wastewater.