Synthesis of Nanocellulose from Indigenous Sources and Application in Dye Removal

The synthesis of an adsorbent that is low cost, effective and sustainable, from two main indigenous agricultural and domestic wastes namely rice husk and lemon peel was conducted in the study to inspect its potential to remove Congo Red, a hazardous anionic dye capable of gravely polluting water bodies. The synthesis of nanocellulose from these sources was catered via a combined approach of chemical and mechanical treatments, involving dependence on acid hydrolysis and sonication. Adsorption kinetics were performed post-synthesis to determine which among the two sources performed better in Congo Red dye adsorption. These studies were carried out by subjecting varying amounts of nanocellulose adsorbent to different quantities of dye and their adsorption capacities were evaluated under changing conditions of pH and contact time. Adsorption isotherms such as linear, Freundlich, and Langmuir were used so that the adsorption capacity of the adsorbents could be predicted. The results demonstrated that lemon peel behaved as a better adsorbent at pH 3.0 for an absorbent dose of 0.3g and showed maximum adsorption at a dye concentration of 80 mg/L.