Physicochemical characterization of a pomegranate peel-based new adsorbent generation used in bisphenol a elimination

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the chemical compounds used in the industry. The ongoing accumulation of this organic compound has a significant and harmful impact on the environment and human health. This study has several objectives, including the reduction of waste rates, the development of a less inexpensive adsorbent material than commercial activated carbon, and the purification of polluted water. The choice of waste used is based on its abundance and availability. To this end, pomegranate peel was selected as a precursor for the preparation of activated carbon using H3PO4 at different temperatures was carried out. The characterization of the best adsorbent by SEM, TGA/DTA, XRF, FTIR, and XRD depicted that AC500 has a heterogeneous surface with a higher carbon percent (93%), the disappearance of several organic functions, giving way to C-C bonds, and an amorphous structure. The rates of moisture and ash are 2.69% and 3.9%, respectively. The values of the iodine and methylene blue numbers are 842.45 mg•g-1, and 476.23 mg•g-1, respectively, indicating the microporous and mesoporous structure of AC500, which confirms the SEM results. The acidic character of AC500 has been proven by PZC (5.1), zetametry, and Boehm titration. This new structure imparts it with an adsorption capacity exceeding 91% for the removal of BPA. The obtained results suggest that pomegranate peel holds promising potential as a sustainable resource, offering a hopeful perspective for environmental pollution remediation.

Keywords

• bisphenol a
• agri-food waste
• pomegranate peel
• adsorption