Development and evaluation of a new bioadsorbent from Amazonian tucuma (Astrocaryum aculeatum) waste

Abstract

Adsorption is a technique frequently used in the treatment of contaminated water. The agro-industrial waste used to obtain bioadsorbents has been studied as an alternative with low operational costs and a positive impact on the environment. This manuscript evaluated the efficiency of tucumã peel (common waste from the Amazon region) as an adsorbent for methylene blue. The removal efficiency, adsorption capacity, and process kinetics were evaluated in the adsorption process developed. Adsorption tests achieved dye removal efficiencies of 74% to 91%. The best fit to the experimental data was obtained to pseudo-second order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm. Thus, waste tucumã peel can be used as a low-cost biocompatible adsorbent to remove of methylene blue dye.