Valorization of Waste Watermelon Rinds as a Bio-adsorbent for Efficient Removal of Methylene Blue Dye from Aqueous Solutions.

ABSTRACT

Nature-based solutions (NBSs) for remediation of various emerging contaminants have gained impetus during the last few decades. In the current study, watermelon (citrullus lanatus), a highly consumed seasonal fruit, was used as a feedstock waste biomass for biochar synthesis through valorization of watermelon rinds. The watermelon biochar (WM-BC) was synthesized through slow pyrolysis at 550°C under anoxic conditions. Langmuir model with R2>99, was found to best fit the adsorption isotherm, and the adsorption kinetics was best described by the pseudo-second-order model. Various characterization tools including FTIR, SEM, BET, XRD, and TEM were used to evaluate the surface morphology of the biochar. The removal efficiency increased from 35% (dosage = 0.4 g), to 81% at WM-BC dosage of 2 g. A maximum adsorption capacity of 115.61 mg/g was found. The results from kinetic and isotherm model model suggested that the adsorption was favorable and multilayer adsorption can be considered. The adsorption mechanism was found to be governed by the co-existing factors such as hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and aromatic interactions. Results suggest that WM-BC has high potential to be employed as an adsorbent for efficient remediation of methylene blue dyes from aqueous solutions.