A Review on Adsorption of Cationic Dyes using Activated Carbon

In this article efficiency of activated carbon as a potent adsorbent of cationic dyes has been reviewed. Non-biodegradable nature of pollutants and their removal in the present generation is a great challenge. Therefore, extensive study on adsorption of these classes of pollutants from water bodies is being carried out. Methylene blue (majorly) a dye seen in the effluent streams of textile, printing, paper industries along with some of the commonly used cationic dyes in process industries and their sorption on activated carbon are reviewed here. High cost of commercially activated carbon which is a limitation to its extensive use have paved way for study of adsorption by naturally obtained and extracted activated carbon from agricultural wastes and various other sources. The purpose of this review paper is to summarize the available information on the removal of cationic dyes using naturally extracted and commercially obtained activated carbon. Various parameters such as temperature, initial dye concentration, pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, particle size, stirring, agitation etc. were studied and the optimum parameters were determined based on the experimental outcomes. Equilibrium data was examined using Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich and few other isotherm models. Kinetic studies also have been carried out to find the most suitable way of expressing the adsorption process.