Synthesis and Characterization of Water Hyacinth-Based Activated Carbon for the Removal of Dyes from Textile Effluents

This study investigates the synthesis of activated carbon from water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) via sodium hydroxide (NaOH) activation for the treatment of textile dye wastewater. The preparation process involved chemical activation of dried biomass with varying NaOH concentrations (0.1 M, 0.25 M, 0.5 M, 0.75 M, and 1.0 M) for 2 hours, followed by carbonization at 350°C for 1 hour. The adsorption efficiency was evaluated using 0.2 g of the synthesized adsorbent in 100 ml of dye effluent across contact times ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours.

Experimental results indicate that the concentration of the activating agent significantly influences the morphological structure and adsorption capacity of the carbon. The optimal performance was achieved using 0.1 M NaOH-activated carbon. Under these optimized conditions specifically a 30-minute contact time the material demonstrated a decolorization efficiency of 78% – 79%, yielding a transparent effluent with no visible residual dye. Furthermore, the treated water maintained a neutral pH of 7 and exhibited a significant reduction in Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). These findings suggest that water hyacinth-derived activated carbon is a highly effective, low-cost, and sustainable adsorbent for industrial wastewater remediation, with potential extensions into air purification and medical applications.