Removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution by adsorption onto activated carbon prepared from animal bone and corncob – an agricultural waste

Synthetic dyes are widely used in the rubber, textiles, plastics, paper and cosmetics industries to color their products. The effectiveness of adsorption for dye removal from wastewater has made it an ideal alternative to other expensive treatment methods. This study investigates the physicochemical properties of animal-bone- (AB) and corncob- (CC) derived activated carbon on the removal of methylene blue dye. The effects of condition variables such as initial dye concentration, adsorbent dose, pH, and contact time were studied. The results show that animal-bone-derived activated carbon has better potential for dye removal than does the corn cob-derived equivalent. AB revealed a higher adsorption capacity of intensity (2.40) and is of higher surface area - 500 m2g–1, while CC has adsorptive capacity of 1.25, intensity of 2.80 and surface area of 420 m2/g–1. What is more, the removal efficiency increases as adsorbent dose increases. This makes it an interesting option for the dye removal from aqueous solutions of dye.