Extraction of fibres from Cucumis melo seed coat and its application as biosorbents for the effective removal of various dyes and antibiotic

Fibres derived from waste can be used in textile industries, cosmetics, wastewater treatment, etc. In the present study, the potential use of biosorbent material obtained from Cucumis melo for the removal of antibiotic, cationic and anionic dyes from aqueous solutions have been investigated. Seed coat from C. melo have been used to extract cellulose fibres which were characterised using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD). The rheological properties such as moisture and ash content, amount of cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose of fibre and its thermal stability using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analyser (DTA) and bioactivity like antibacterial and antioxidant activities for the seed coat and the extracted fibre were examined. Furthermore, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) were synthesised using co-precipitation method and was coated onto the extracted fibre and used for the removal of different dyes and antibiotic. It was observed that SPION-coated muskmelon fibre showed highest removal of dyes—crystal violet, methylene blue, Congo red and antibiotic rifampicin—with the percentage 79.67%, 60.55%, 91.98% and 72.79%, respectively, compared with seed coat and extracted fibre. Results suggest that the biosorbents from C. melo could be an effective and eco-friendly alternative for the removal of pollutants from aqueous contaminations.