Removal of a cationic dye – Basic Red 12 – from aqueous solution by adsorption onto animal bone meal

The efficiency of animal bone meal as a low cost adsorbent for removing a cationic dye Basic Red 12 from aqueous solution has been investigated. The effects of various experimental factors; adsorbent dose, contact time, dye concentration, pH and temperature were studied by using the batch technique. A maximum of 83.56% removal of the dye was observed by 50 mg of Animal Bone Meal (ABM). Dye adsorption equilibrium was rapidly attained after 60 min of contact time. The isotherms of adsorption data were analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models. The adsorption capacity, Qm, obtained from the Langmuir isotherm plots were 64.13, 64.95, 66.73 and 67.87 mg/g respectively at 303, 313, 323 and 333 K. The characteristic results; dimensionless separation factor, RL, and the adsorption intensity, n, showed that animal bone meal can be employed as an alternative to commercial adsorbents in the removal of Basic Red 12 from aqueous solution.