Comparative studies on adsorption of dyeing industry effluents by activated carbon and polymer coated sawdust prepared from the fruit of Cordia sebestena

Activated carbon (Cordia sebestena activated carbon [CSAC]) and polymer coated sawdust (polypyrrole coated sawdust [PPy/SD]) prepared from the precursor, fruit of the gardening plant material Cordia sebestena were used as adsorbents to treat the dyeing industry effluent samples which were collected immediately after the completion of dyeing process (at the outlet of dyeing machine). Five samples of industrial effluents were taken and their physicochemical characteristics like pH, hardness, total dissolved solid, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand were analysed. Thus, among the two adsorbents, CSAC is a potential adsorbent for most of the dye effluents studied and have moderate colour removal capacity for the sample 3. But polymer coated sawdust (PPy/SD) is an excellent adsorbent for the colour removal of almost all the dye effluents studied. The amount of adsorbents required for the treatment and the cost of the adsorbents were also compared with the commercial charcoal. Hence from the comparison studies, it was found that the treatment of effluents with CSAC is more economical than commercial charcoal and PPy/SD. It could be concluded that even though the price of PPy/SD is higher than others, the amount required for treatment of the effluent samples is very less compared with CSAC and commercial charcoal. Thus, PPy/SD proves that it is an excellent adsorbent and it has high potentiality for the removal of colour from industry effluent as compared with others.