Removal of Synthetic Dyes Methylene Blue and Congo Red Using Brewers' Spent Grain

Adsorpcija se pokazala kao jedna od najučinkovitijih metoda za uklanjanje bojila iz otpadnih voda. Primjena lignoceluloznih materijala kao alternativa komercijalnim adsorbensima, u posljednje vrijeme su predmet mnogih istraživanja. U ovome radu istražena je mogućnost primjene nemodificiranog i modificiranog pivskog tropa kao adsorbensa za uklanjanje sintetskih bojila metilenskog modrila i kongo crvenila iz modelnih vodenih otopina u koloni s nepokretnim slojem adsorbensa. Kontinuirani adsorpcijski eksperimenti provedeni su s ciljem ispitivanja učinkovitosti uklanjanja bojila u ovisnosti o promjeru kolone (18 mm), visini sloja adsorbensa (4 i 6 cm), vrsti adsorbensa (modificirani i nemodificirani pivski trop) te početnoj koncentraciji bojila u modelnoj otopini i modelnoj otpadnoj vodi (50 mg/L). Dobiveni rezultati pokazali su kako se pivski trop može koristiti za učinkovito uklanjanje metilenskog modrila i kongo crvenila iz vodenih otopina u koloni s nepokretnim slojem adsorbensa, ali je za svako bojilo potrebno optimirati parametre provođenja procesa.Adsorption has proven to be one of the most effective methods for removing dyes from wastewater. The use of lignocellulosic materials as an alternative to commercial adsorbents has been the subject of many research. In this study, the possibility of using unmodified and modified brewers’ spent grain as adsorbents for synthetic dyes methylene blue and Congo red removal from model aqueous solutions in a column with a fixed adsorbent layer has been investigated. Continuous adsorption experiments were conducted to investigate the efficiency of dye removal depending on the column diameter (18 mm), the height of the adsorbent layer (4 and 6 cm), the type of adsorbent (modified and unmodified brewers’ spent grain), and the initial dye concentration in the model solution and model wastewater (50 mg/L). The results obtained showed that the brewers’ spent grain can be used for efficient dye removal from aqueous solutions in a fixed bed adsorbent column, but optimization of process parameters is required for each kind and type of the dye