Adsorption of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution onto a Low-Cost Natural Jordanian Tripoli

Problem statement: It is well documented that lead is one of contaminants of industrial wastewaters and its pollution exists in the wastewater of many industries. As a result, recent research has focused on the development of cost effective alternatives using various natural sources and industrial wastes. In this setting, the use of low-cost agricultural materials, waste and residues for recovering heavy metals from contaminated industrial effluent has emerged as a potential alternative method to high cost adsorbents. In the present study, adsorption of lead(II) ions onto Orange Peel (OP), a typical agricultural byproduct, was investigated systematically with the variation in the parameters of pH, sorbent dosage, contact time and the initial concentration of adsorbate. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were used to analyze the equilibrium data. Kinetic and thermodynamic parameters were also calculated to describe the adsorption mechanism. Approach: The Orange Peel (OP) was obtained from a local market in the south of Jordan. The orange peel was cut into small pieces using scissors. Then OP was dried at 100°C for 24 h using hot air oven. Qualitative analyses of the main functional groups involved in metal adsorption were performed using a Fourier transformed infrared spectrometer (Perkin-Elmer FTIR 1605, ¨Uberlingen, Germany). Biosorption experiments were carried out in a thermostatic shaker at 180 rpm and at an ambient temperature (20±2°C) using