Iranian Journal of

Backgrounds and Objectives:Much attention has been recently paid on using waste materials as adsorbents for removal of contaminants from water and wastewater. A new low cost waste was examined for its capacity to adsorb RR198, an azo reactive model dye, from an aqueous solution.
Materials andMethods: The waste was dried, powdered and characterized before being used as an adsorbent. The effects of pH (3-10), adsorbent dose (0.2-3 g), dye concentration and contact time on the adsorption efficiency were investigated. Equilibrium study data were modeled using Langmuir and Freundlich models.
Results: The characterization analysis indicated that itwas composedmainly of ferric hydroxide. The powder had a BET and average pore size of 107 m2/g and 4.5 nm, respectively. The results showed that dye removal was highest at a solution pH of 7 to 8 and a powder dose of 2 g/L. The RR198 removal percentage decreased from 100& to 43& at 140 min contact time when the concentration of dye was increased from 25 mg/L to 100 mg/L, at optimum pH and dosage. The Langmuir equation provided the best fit for the experimental data. The maximum adsorption capacity was calculated to be 34.4 mg/g.
Conclusion: According to the obtained results, the water coagulation waste sludge appears to be a suitable low cost and effcient adsorbent for removing reactive azo dyes from waste streams.