POTENTIAL OF TENDU LEAF REFUSE FOR PHENOL REMOVAL IN AQUEOUS SYSTEMS

Abstract. The potential of tendu (Diospyros melanoxylon) leaf refuse from bidi industry waste to remove phenol from aqueous solution was studied. For this purpose, the tendu leaf refuse was carbonized by subjecting it to chemical treatments with sulfuric acid. Batch kinetics and isotherm studies were carried out under varying experimental conditions of contact time, phenol concentration, adsorbent dose and pH. Adsorption equilibrium of tendu leaf refuse and chemically carbonized tendu leaf refuse was reached within 2 hr for phenol concentration 10-25 mg/l and 1 hr for phenol concentration 20-200 mg/l, respectively. The adsorption of phenol decreases by the increase of the pH value of the solution. The kinetic data followed more closely the pseudo-second-order chemisorption model. The adsorption data were modelled by using both Langmuir and Freundlich classical adsorption isotherms. The maximum adsorption capacity of chemically carbonized tendu leaf refuse as per Langmuir model was 4 times higher than that of raw tendu leaf refuse. The results illustrate how tendu leaf refuse, a solid waste disposal menace from bidi industry, can be used as an effective biosorbent for phenol in aqueous solution