Nitrate Adsorption Using Activated Carbon from Agricultural Waste
Keywords:
Adsorption, Nitrate, Corncob, Coconut Shell, OFATAbstract
Nitrate (NO3-) contamination poses a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems, as it contributes to eutrophication, decreases water quality, and poses risks to human health. Synthesis of activated carbon from agricultural waste provides a circular solution for wastewater treatment and nitrate removal. Adsorption is an effective and simple method for reducing nitrate concentration in water. This study investigated nitrate removal in a batch experiment using a mixture of corn cob and coconut shell using KOH activation. A one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) approach was used to study the influence of adsorbent dose (30-70 mg) and adsorption contact time (10-60 minutes). The activated carbon was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The nitrate removal efficiency was analyzed using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer at 540 nm. The characterization results showed that the activation process increases the specific surface area, pore volume, and number of active sites for nitrate adsorption. Under optimized conditions, nitrate removal efficiency reached 99.37%. This study confirms the effectiveness of agricultural waste-derived activated carbon as a sustainable adsorbent for nitrate adsorption in water treatment applications.
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