Efficiency of the TEMJOUHERT date palm kernel as activated carbon in wastewater treatment for the Ghardaia region

This study aims to determine the potential for using activated carbon prepared by local agricultural waste for the treatment of wastewater loaded with organic pollutants. The activated carbon was prepared by chemical activation using phosphoric acid H3PO4 at an “85%” concentration, from local date kernels TEMJOUHERT (TMG) from the Ghardaïa region, Algeria. The activated carbon synthesis yield is equal to 28.56%. The adsorbent prepared was characterized by determining its physical and chemical characteristics, in particular the bulk density, the ash content, the iodine number, the surface functions by the Boehm method and the pH at the point of zero charge. Thus the textural properties are determined by scanning electron microscopy SEM and the Burnauer-emmett-Teller (BET). The surface area and micropore volumes of activated carbon TMG; were found to be 639.9190 m2/g and 0.420779 cm3/g respectively. All the results obtained from the treatment of wastewater from the Atteuf "kef doukhane area in the Ghardaia region. are clear that: the best pollutant removal rates are 84.75% for PO3-4; 85.21% for COD and 74.55% for NH4+ by activated carbons; using a mass of 1g of adsorbent per 100 ml of water, 90 min contact time and 250rpm stirring speed.