Enhanced Sorption Performance of Natural Zeolites Modified with pH-Fractionated Humic Acids for the Removal of Methylene Blue from Water

This work explores the effect of humic acids (HA) fractionation on the sorption ability of a natural zeolite (NYT)—HA adduct. HA were extracted from compost, fractionated via the pH fractionation method, and characterized via UV-Vis spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. The HA samples were immobilized onto NYT via thermal treatment. The resulting adducts (NYT-HA) were tested for their ability to remove methylene blue (MB) from an aqueous solution. It was found that the sorption performance of NYT-HA strongly depends on the chemical characteristics of humic acids. Sorption capacity increased with the molecular weight and hydrophobicity degree of the HA fractions. Hydrophobic and π–π interactions are likely the primary mechanisms by which MB interacts with HA. The sorption kinetic data conform to the pseudo-second-order model. The Freundlich isotherm model adequately described the sorption equilibrium and revealed that the uptake of MB onto NYT-HA is endothermic in nature.