Sustainable Treatment of Dye-Laden Wastewater via Adsorption on Phosphoric Acid-Activated Carbon from Palm Kernel Shells

The purpose of this study is to examine the potentiality of palm kernel shell-derived activated carbon (PKSAC) as an economically viable and sustainable adsorbent for the elimination of methyl red dye from textile wastewater. Being one of the major contributors of water pollution via the discharge of toxic and non-biodegradable dyes, the textile sector urgently needs to adopt efficient and sustainable treatment mechanisms. This research will solve this issue by utilizing agricultural waste, i.e., palm kernel shells, to produce activated carbon, thus promoting recycling of waste and preventing environmental pollution. The research seeks to optimize the process of adsorption to achieve effective removal of dye, offering a new alternative solution to conventional treatment that is ineffective and costly. The process involves activation of palm kernel shells to produce activated carbon through carbonization and chemical activation by phosphoric acid. Adsorbent developed is analyzed through techniques such as BET analysis, SEM, and FTIR for surface area, pore structure, and functional group, respectively. Batch adsorption experiments are carried out to analyze the effect of important parameters like pH, contact time, initial dye concentration, and adsorbent dosage on methyl red dye removal efficiency. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is used to maximize the adsorption process and to determine the optimal conditions for optimal dye removal. The results confirm that PKSAC possesses a high surface area (275.762 m²/g) and porosity, hence a good adsorbent for dye removal. Optimal conditions for maximum dye removal efficiency (94.82%) are an adsorbent dosage of 5.05 g/L, contact time of 52.5 minutes, concentration of 300 mg/L of dye, and neutral pH of 7.0. Adsorption follows a pseudo-second-order kinetic model, which validates chemisorption as the prevailing mechanism. The study suggests the potential of PKSAC as an inexpensive, environmentally friendly alternative to industrial-activated carbons for the treatment of textile wastewater. The findings conclude that PKSAC can effectively be used in managing dye pollution, resulting in environmental conservation and green waste management. Future research should scale up the yield of PKSAC and evaluate its application towards decontamination of other toxicants.