Elimination of Methylene Blue by low-cost Biomaterial prepared from Local Natural Residue

This study aims to assess the use of natural waste (fruit kernels) for the preparation of a bimaterial in order to use it as a natural support for the elimination of a dye (methylene blue) from aqueous solutions for environmental protection. The biomaterial was characterized physicochemically and the determination of methylene blue concentration was carried out by a UV-Visible spectrophotometer. In order to clarify the adsorption process, experiments in a batch system were carried out to study the effect of operating parameters such as the initial concentration of methylene blue (2-10 mg·L-1), biomaterial (0.1-1 g) and the contact time (10-120 min). To describe the adsorption equilibrium, the experimental data were analyzed by the Langmuir isotherm and the Freundlich isotherm. The equilibrium is perfectly described by the Freundlich model (R2>0.99) and the adsorption process is multilayer. The results of the present study suggest that washingtonia seed (WS) can be advantageously used as a low-cost biosorbent for water discoloration