Investigation of the efficacy of Alhagi maurorum plant powder for Janus Green B dye removal from wastewater.

ABSTRACT

The growth of industrial activities, has led to a significant increase in the influx of color pollutants into the environment. Phytoremediation can play a crucial role in enhancing wastewater quality. Accordingly, this study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of Alhagi maurorum plant powder in removing Janus Green B (JGB) dye from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent's properties were characterized through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The study examined various parameters, including initial dye concentration (20-110 mg/L), adsorbent dosage (0.002-0.02 g), solution pH (2-10), and contact time (5-50 min). The experiments revealed that the maximum dye removal efficiency, 99.51%, was achieved under optimal conditions pH 7, a contact time of 20 min, an adsorbent dosage of 0.01 g, and an initial dye concentration of 90 mg/L. The adsorption of JGB onto the adsorbent followed the Langmuir isotherm model, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 90.909 mg/g. The kinetic results supported a pseudo-second-order model for the adsorption process, with an R2 value of 0.9999. The calculated Gibbs free energy changes (ΔG°) at temperatures of 288, 298, 308, 318, and 328 K were found to be -5354.28, -5993.61, -6439.66, -7026.51, and -7932.05 kJ/mol, respectively, indicating the spontaneity of the adsorption process.

This study investigated the capabilities of Alhagi maurorum species for removing Janus Green B in wastewater, because A. maurorum is considered a weed in fields and can be found in abundance in desert areas. It is a low-cost and eco-friendly adsorbent.