Sustainable and Reusable Methylated Wood Waste Powder: An Eco-Friendly Solution for Efficient Removal of 2-Methylisoborneol from Water

This study introduces a sustainable adsorbent derived from methylated wood waste for the efficient removal of 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB), a pervasive taste and odor compound that compromises water quality and challenges treatment processes. Chemical modification via dimethyl sulfate-mediated methylation in alkaline aqueous-ethanol significantly enhanced hydrophobicity and adsorption performance. Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis revealed 95% 2-MIB removal under optimized conditions (0.10 g dosage, 10 min, pH 7.0). The adsorption followed a Langmuir isotherm (R² = 0.962), indicating monolayer adsorption on homogeneous sites with a 9.31 ng/g capacity. The adsorbent retained an efficiency of over 90% after three regeneration cycles. Compared to commercial Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC), it reduces equilibrium time by 50% and dosage requirements by 40%, while cutting carbon emissions by 30% through waste valorization. This work establishes methylated wood waste as an eco-friendly, high-performance solution for 2-MIB mitigation in water treatment.