Evaluation of Cassava Peel as a Low-Cost Adsorbent for Methylene Blue Removal from Textile Wastewater in Aba, Abia State

Textile effluent discharged from small-scale dyeing enterprises in Aba, South East Nigeria, constitutes a significant threat to receiving water bodies and public health. This study investigates the adsorption capacity of activated cassava peel for removing methylene blue dye from simulated and real textile wastewater. Cassava peels were collected from processing units in Aba North, dried, chemically activated with zinc chloride solution, and characterised using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted at varying initial dye concentrations (10 to 100 mg/L), contact times (10 to 120 minutes), adsorbent doses (0.5 to 4 g/L), and solution pH values (3 to 10). Equilibrium data were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, and kinetic data were fitted to pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models. Results demonstrated that activated cassava peel achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 48.3 mg/g under optimised conditions. Pseudo-second-order kinetics described the adsorption mechanism more accurately, suggesting chemisorption dominance. The adsorbent attained over 90% dye removal at neutral pH within 90 minutes. These outcomes indicate that cassava peel is a viable, low-cost substitute for conventional activated carbon in textile wastewater treatment in South East Nigeria. The study recommends pilot-scale column studies to validate continuous flow performance. Keywords: cassava peel, adsorption, methylene blue, textile wastewater, Aba