Environmentally friendly radiation EDTA modified hydrogel based on gelatin for adsorptive removal of cationic and anionic dye from synthetic wastewater

Colored wastewater discharge from several industries, including paper, cosmetics, leather, dying, and textile industries, is a significant environmental management issue, especially in developing countries. Copolymerization of acrylic acid (AAc) as well as gelatin (Gltn) was performed in different compositions and crosslinked utilizing gamma irradiation to form Gltn/AAc hydrogel. EDTA has modified the hydrogel to improve adsorption properties. The effect of irradiation dose, the composition of Gltn-AAc, EDTA content, and AAc content on gel percentage was studied. The swelling behavior were studied as a time function. The prepared hydrogels’ surface morphologies and structure were confirmed with FTIR, SEM, as well as XRD. Modified hydrogel used in batch adsorption was studied to remove anionic and cationic dyes, namely methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB), from simulated wastewater. The parameters of adsorption, like pH, time, and initial metals concentration, were studied. The removal of MB dye by modified Gltn/AAc/EDTA hydrogel was found to be greater than that of MO dye.