This research presents the tangerine seed activated carbon (TSAC), obtained from food waste (tangerine seed) by one-step pyrolysis method and applied to remove carbamate pesticides (CMs) from complex solutions. The effects of carbonization temperature and time on adsorption performance were studied. Structural properties of TSAC were determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer, X-ray diffraction analysis, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope and nitrogen adsorption/desorption methods and compared with that of tangerine seed. The TSAC exhibited a specific surface area of 659.62 m2/g, a total pore volume of 0.6203 cc/g and a pore diameter of 1.410 nm. The influences of initial pesticide concentration, adsorption temperature and contact time were investigated through batch experiments. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model were more suitable for CMs adsorption process onto TSAC. Furthermore, the thermodynamic research indicated that this adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic.
Keywords: Adsorption isotherm; Adsorption kinetics; Carbamate pesticides; Pesticide removal; Regeneration; Tangerine seed activated carbon.
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