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The efficiency of aquatic weed–derived biochar in enhanced removal of cationic dyes from aqueous medium

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Abstract 

The potential of biochar derived from water hyacinth (Eichhornia carassipes)—an invasive aquatic weed capable of producing high biomass—for the adsorptive removal of organic dyes like methylene blue (MB) and crystalvViolet (CV) from the aqueous medium was studied. The properties of the resultant Eichhornia biochar (ECBC) were studied using SEM–EDS, ICP-MS, FTIR, TGA, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). The adsorption capacities of the dyes were obtained under batch adsorption experiment conditions. Adsorption isotherms and kinetic models were used to analyze the experimental data. Adsorption of dyes increased with solution pH, biochar dosage, contact time, initial dye concentration, and temperature, whereas the presence of a monovalent NaCl salt system decreased the adsorption process. The biosorption was found to follow the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The Langmuir monolayer biosorption capacity of the biochar was estimated as 362.4 and 346.9 mg/g−1 for MB and CV, respectively. The resultant biochar showcased high reusability. The appreciable level of dye adsorption capacity of ECBC could be ascribed to the basic properties of the Eichhornia-derived biochar. Physical and electrostatic attraction, intermolecular hydrogen bonding and n-interactions, surface precipitation, and cation exchange are proposed as the combined mechanisms that result in MB and CV adsorption onto ECBC. The results suggest that the conversion of the aquatic weed Eichhornia to biochar as an effective eco-friendly adsorbent for the removal of toxic dyes from wastewater is a viable and environmentally sustainable option.

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Data availability

The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This research work has been conducted under the financial support of the University Grant Commission (UGC), New Delhi.

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  1. Advanced Centre of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, 686560, Kerala, India

    Shanthi Prabha Viswanathan, Gopika Vijayakumar Njazhakunnathu, Sreekanth Prakasan Neelamury, Babu Padmakumar & Thomas Paili Ambatt

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  1. Shanthi Prabha Viswanathan
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  2. Gopika Vijayakumar Njazhakunnathu
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Conceptualization, investigation, writing, reviewing, and editing were done by Dr. Shanthi Prabha V and Gopika V N. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Dr. Sreekanth N P and Dr. Babu Padma Kumar. Resources and supervision were provided by Dr. A.P Thomas. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Viswanathan, S.P., Njazhakunnathu, G.V., Neelamury, S.P. et al. The efficiency of aquatic weed–derived biochar in enhanced removal of cationic dyes from aqueous medium. Biomass Conv. Bioref. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-022-03546-2

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