Adsorption characteristics of methylene blue onto agricultural wastes lotus leaf in bath and column modes

The adsorption potential of lotus leaf to remove methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution was investigated in batch and fixed-bed column experiments. Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Koble–Corrigan isotherm models were employed to discuss the adsorption behavior. The results of analysis indicated that the equilibrium data were perfectly represented by Temkin isotherm and the Langmuir saturation adsorption capacity of lotus leaf was found to be 239.6 mg g⁻¹ at 303 K. In fixed-bed column experiments, the effects of flow rate, influent concentration and bed height on the breakthrough characteristics of adsorption were discussed. The Thomas and the bed-depth/service time (BDST) models were applied to the column experimental data to determine the characteristic parameters of the column adsorption. The two models were found to be suitable to describe the dynamic behavior of MB adsorbed onto the lotus leaf powder column.