Journal of Water and Wastewater; Ab va Fazilab (in persian)

Journal of Water and Wastewater; Ab va Fazilab (in persian)

Ultrasound-Enhanced Alkaline Modification of Wheat Straw for Efficient Removal of Industrial Ionic Dyes

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Ramin Alizadeh 1
Elham Jalilnejad 2
Reza Rafiee 3
1 MSc. Student, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Urmia University of Technology, Urmia 17165‑57166, Iran
2 Assoc. Prof., Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Urmia University of Technology, Urmia 17165‑57166, Iran
3 Assist. Prof., Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Urmia University of Technology, Urmia 17165‑57166, Iran
10.22093/wwj.2026.554485.3521
Abstract
This study aims to support eco-friendly wastewater treatment by converting lignocellulosic waste into valuable biosorbents, thereby contributing to sustainable waste management technologies. Wheat straw and its ash were examined as low-cost adsorbents for the removal of industrial ionic dyes, including cationic methylene blue and anionic methyl orange. To enhance adsorption performance, several surface modification approaches, including alkaline, acidic, and ultrasound-assisted treatments, were evaluated. The structural and surface characteristics of the modified materials were analyzed using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. Among all prepared adsorbents, the sodium hydroxide–ultrasound-modified ash (WSA-U-NaOH) exhibited the highest adsorption efficiency under initial testing conditions (25 mg/L dye), achieving capacities of 12.38 mg/g for MB and 4.47 mg/g for MO, evidencing a synergistic enhancement attributable to the combined effects of alkaline activation and ultrasonic cavitation. Optimization using the Taguchi model revealed that the maximum adsorption capacity for MB (53.29 mg/g) occurred at pH=12 with 0.05 g of adsorbent and an initial MB concentration of 75 mg/L after 45 minutes. For MO, optimal conditions (pH=2, 0.05 g adsorbent, and 75 mg/L MO) produced a capacity of 22.36 mg/g after 60 minutes. The adsorbent exhibited a markedly higher affinity toward the cationic dye, consistent with electrostatic interactions governed by surface charge characteristics. Kinetic analyses showed that adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order model, suggesting chemisorption as the dominant rate-controlling step. Equilibrium data were best fitted by the Freundlich isotherm, indicating heterogeneous multilayer adsorption. Thermodynamic parameters confirmed that the biosorption of both dyes was spontaneous and endothermic.
Keywords
Lignocellulosic Waste, Wheat Straw, Adsorption, Industrial Dye, Surface Modification, Ultrasound

Subjects

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Journal of Water and Wastewater; Ab va Fazilab (in persian)

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 February 2026