Removal of methylene blue dye using Citrus sinensis

The effluent from textile is an important source of dye pollution. Methylene blue (MB) is a basic aniline dye. At room temperature, it appears as a solid, odourless, dark green powder that yields a blue solution when dissolved in water. The dyeing industry effluents contain high Biochemical Oxygen Demand and Chemical Oxygen Demand value. The need for using cheap and eco-friendly adsorbent for removal of MB dye from an aqueous solution is of paramount importance. The present work aims to investigate the adsorptive characteristics of agricultural waste (Citrus sinensis) for effective removal of dyes from aqueous solutions. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to observe the effect of various experimental parameters such as pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage and initial dye concentration of MB, and the optimum conditions for these parameters were evaluated. More than 96% removal of dye was attained for all dye adsorbent systems under optimum conditions. The outcomes indicated that C. sinensis can be used as a good low-cost alternative for treatment of effluents containing MB in water.