Harnessing Moroccan cuttlefish bones for removing methyl orange dye from water: an investigation of equilibrium, kinetics, and thermodynamic properties

A novel biomaterial derived from Moroccan cuttlefish bones (Sepia officinalis) was developed for wastewater treatment, addressing fish waste management issues. Cuttlefish bone powder (CBP), calcined at 800°C, and exhibited a crystalline structure analysed by FTIR, SEM, EDS, and XRD. CBP effectively removed Methyl Orange (MO) dye, achieving 96.7% efficiency under optimal conditions (0.01 g/L, pH = 5, 300 minutes). Adsorption followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Freundlich isotherm, indicating a spontaneous, endothermic physisorption involving electrostatic interactions, n-π stacking, and hydrogen bonding. This study demonstrates CBP as a sustainable, efficient adsorbent for industrial wastewater treatment and fish waste valorisation.