Biosorbent from Neem (Azadirachta Indica) Leaves

Removal of organic and inorganic pollutants from wastewater by adsorption on activated carbon and synthetic resins has been widely studied. Though activated carbon is an ideal adsorbent for organic matter due to its organophillic character, high cost of preparation and regeneration is a limiting factor for their large-scale use in wastewater treatment. This has prompted the use of many novel materials as adsorbents. The present work was aimed at developing a low cost adsorbent from the mature leaves of the Neem (Azadirachta indica)tree. The objectives were to convert dry, mature Neem leaves into a powder (Neem Leaf Powder, NLP), characterize the adsorbent (NLP) by spectroscopic and other methods, test the effectiveness of NLP as an adsorbent for removal of micro-pollutants such as dyes (methylene blue, Congo red, brilliant green) and metal ions (Cd(II), Cr(VI) and Pb(II)) from an aqueous medium, and determine the influence of various factors such as concentration, pH, temperature, and agitation time, etc., on adsorption. Both batch and column adsorption processes were applied with significant achievements.