Use of banana peel for the removal of boron from aqueous solutions in the batch adsorption system

In this study, the use of banana peels (BP) as a biosorbent which is considered agricultural waste for boron adsorption was investigated. The important operating parameters (pH, biosorbent dose, and contact time) affecting the batch adsorption system were examined. As a result of the conducted experiments, it was determined that the BP dose was 2 g/L, the initial pH was 6.07, and the contact time was 30 min. The maximum boron removal efficiency was achieved at approximately 66% under these conditions. In addition, different isotherms and kinetics were applied in this study. The R(2 )values of the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm were determined as 0.9694 and 0.9703, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of BP was calculated as 3.40 mg/g according to isotherms. SEM and FTIR analyses were performed to reveal the morphological and functional status of BP. The BP has a non-homogeneous macropores surface and predominantly hydroxyl (-OH), carboxyl (C-C), and amine (N-H) groups. As a result of the study, it was revealed that BP was an environmentally friendly, economical, and easily available biosorbent for boron removal. [GRAPHICS] .