title: Adsorption of methylene blue on low-cost adsorbents: a review.
abstract: In this article, the use of low-cost adsorbents for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from solution has been reviewed. Adsorption techniques are widely used to remove certain classes of pollutants from waters, especially those which are not easily biodegradable. The removal of MB, as a pollutant, from waste waters of textile, paper, printing and other industries has been addressed by the researchers. Currently, a combination of biological treatment and adsorption on activated carbon is becoming more common for removal of dyes from wastewater. Although commercial activated carbon is a preferred adsorbent for color removal, its widespread use is restricted due to its relatively high cost which led to the researches on alternative non-conventional and low-cost adsorbents. The purpose of this review article is to organize the scattered available information on various aspects on a wide range of potentially low-cost adsorbents for MB removal. These include agricultural wastes, industrial solid wastes, biomass, clays minerals and zeolites. Agricultural waste materials being highly efficient, low cost and renewable source of biomass can be exploited for MB remediation. It is evident from a literature survey of about 185 recently published papers that low-cost adsorbents have demonstrated outstanding removal capabilities for MB.
authors.affiliation: Division of Bioresource, Paper and Coatings Technology, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia. mohd_rafatullah@yahoo.co.in
authors.forename: Mohd
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rafatullah
authors.forename: Othman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sulaiman
authors.forename: Rokiah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hashim
authors.forename: Anees
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmad
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000517:prevention & control; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D008751:Methylene Blue