Removal of dyes from an artificial textile dye effluent by two agricultural waste residues, corncob and barley husk.

The use of a previously untried biosorbent, barley husk, for dye removal is compared to corncob. The effectiveness of adsorption as a means of dye removal has made it an ideal alternative to other more costly treatments. This paper deals with two low-cost, renewable biosorbents, which are agroindustrial by-products, for textile dye removal. Experiments at total dye concentrations of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg l(-1) were carried out with an artificial effluent consisting of an equal mixture of five textile dyes. The effects of initial dye concentration, biosorbent particle size, dose of biosorbent, effective adsorbance, and dye removal kinetics were examined. One gram (per 100 ml) of < or = 600 microm corncob was found to be effective in removing a high percentage of dyes at a rapid rate (92% in 48 h). One gram of I x 4 mm barley husk was found to be the most effective weight and particle size combination for the removal of dyes (92% in 48 h). The results illustrate how barley husk and corncob are effective biosorbents concerning the removal of textile dyes from effluent.