title: Adsorption of methylene blue on an agro-waste oiltea shell with and without fungal treatment.
abstract: A lignocellulosic waste oiltea shell (OTS) was evaluated as an inexpensive sorbent to remove methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution. Fungal treatment of OTS increased the MB adsorption by modifying the physicochemical properties of OTS and simultaneously produced laccase as a beneficial co-product. Without fungal treatment, the maximum amount of adsorption (qm) of MB by OTS was 64.4 mg/g, whereas the treatment with fungus Pycnoporus sp. and Trametes versicolor increased qmup to 72.5 mg/g and 85.7 mg/g, respectively. This is because of the improved surface area and pore sizes as well as altered chemical compositions. The equilibrium sorption data for OTS both with and without treatment fitted to the Langmuir model, and the sorption rate data well fitted to the pseudo second-order kinetic model. The changes in free energy (ΔG°) and separation factor (RL) indicated that the sorption was spontaneous and favorable. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the changes in the surface morphology and functional groups of OTS after fungal treatment. The agro-waste OTS could be utilized as a low-cost adsorbent for efficient dye removal, and fungal treatment can serve as a mild and clean technique to increase the adsorptive capacity of OTS.
authors.affiliation: Fermentation Technology Division, School of Bioengineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian 463000, China.
authors.forename: Jiayang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water and Soil Conservation and Environmental Protection, Linyi University, Linyi, 276000, China.
authors.forename: Enzhong
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Fermentation Technology Division, School of Bioengineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian 463000, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water and Soil Conservation and Environmental Protection, Linyi University, Linyi, 276000, China.
authors.forename: Changwei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Griffin, Georgia 30223, United States.
authors.forename: Qingguo
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007700:Kinetics; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry*; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000737:chemistry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D013843:Thiazines / Q000737:chemistry; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D010938:Plant Oils; D013843:Thiazines; D014867:Water; C036909:lignocellulose; D008031:Lignin; D008751:Methylene Blue