Jará açu (Leopoldinia major) waste as a potent biosorbent from Amazonia for the removal of crystal violet and methylene blue dyes from aqueous effluents
摘要
This study examines the valorization of Jará-açu (JAR) waste, an unactivated agro-industrial residue from the Amazon, as an effective biosorbent for removing crystal violet (CV) and methylene blue (MB) dyes from water. Characterization revealed JAR as a macroporous, mostly amorphous lignocellulosic composite with a surface rich in oxygen-containing functional groups, but with a very low specific surface area (SBET 1.05 m2g−1). Despite this, JAR achieved remarkable maximum adsorption capacities, determined by the Liu isotherm model to be 332.0 mg g−1 for CV and 394.5 mg g−1 for MB at 328 K. The adsorption process was driven by electrostatic attraction and ion exchange, not pore filling, and was endothermic (ΔH° > 0) and entropy-driven (ΔS° > 0). The kinetics were rapid, best fit by a Fractal-like Pseudo-First-Order model, indicating a heterogeneous surface. The higher MB uptake was due to its smaller, planar structure, which provided a steric advantage and a thermodynamic benefit from greater entropy gain during adsorption. JAR demonstrated excellent reusability over six cycles and achieved high removal efficiency in spiked river water, exceeding 97% in a binary-dye system. This work introduces a low-cost, sustainable biosorbent that supports a circular economy by transforming agricultural waste into a high-performance material for wastewater treatment.