Valorizing Agricultural Waste: Synthesis of Pomegranate Peel-Derived Activated Carbon-Based Hybrid Composite for Sustainable Heavy Metal Removal

Abstract

The effective removal of heavy metals from water sources is of paramount importance due to their detrimental effects on the environment and human health. In this study, we present a sustainable approach to address this issue by valorizing agricultural waste in the form of pomegranate peel for the synthesis of an activated carbon-based hybrid composite. The pomegranate peel-derived activated carbon exhibited high removal capacities for Pb2+ and Ca2+ ions, with maximum elimination achieved at pH 7 within a pH range of 3 to 11. The adsorption process reached equilibrium in 30 minutes, resulting in remarkable removal efficiencies of 80.3% for Pb2+ and 74.3% for Cd2+. These findings highlight the successful synthesis and characterization of pomegranate peel-derived activated carbon as a promising and environmentally friendly solution for the sustainable removal of heavy metals, emphasizing the significance of agricultural waste valorization in mitigating water contamination.

Keywords

• hybrid composite, agricultural waste, pomegranate peel, activated carbon, heavy metal removal, sustainable adsorbents.
• hibrit kompozit,
• tarımsal atık,
• aktif karbon
• nar kabuğu