Waste newspaper driven activated carbon to remove polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon from wastewater

Aynun Nahar; Md Ahedul Akbor; Nigar Sultana Pinky; Nushrat Jahan Chowdhury; Shamim Ahmed; Md Abdul Gafur; Umme Sarmeen Akhtar; Md Saiful Quddus; Fariha Chowdhury

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17793

Waste newspaper driven activated carbon to remove polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon from wastewater

Heliyon. 2023 Jun 29;9(7):e17793. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17793. eCollection 2023 Jul.

Authors

Aynun Nahar¹, Md Ahedul Akbor¹, Nigar Sultana Pinky², Nushrat Jahan Chowdhury¹, Shamim Ahmed¹, Md Abdul Gafur³, Umme Sarmeen Akhtar², Md Saiful Quddus², Fariha Chowdhury⁴

Affiliations

¹ Institute of National Analytical Research and Services (INARS), Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
² Institute of Glass and Ceramic Research and Testing (IGCRT), Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
³ Pilot Plant and Process Development Center (PP&PDC), Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
⁴ Biomedical and Toxicological Research Institute (BTRI), Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Abstract

In this study, a carbon-based adsorbent was developed from waste newspaper through pyrolysis at 800 °C to evaluate the removal efficiency of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Benzo[ghi]perylene (BghiP) and Indeno [1,2,3-cd] pyrene (IP)) from wastewater. The surface area of the developed adsorbent was estimated at 509.247m²g^-1 which allowed the adsorption of the PAHs from wastewater. The maximum adsorption capacity was estimated at 138.436 μg g^-1 and 228.705 μg g^-1 for BghiP and IP, respectively and the highest removal efficiency was observed at pH 2. Around 91% removal efficiency was observed at pH 7 for both pollutants. Experimental adsorption data were fit for pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm models, which demonstrate electrostatic interaction, monolayered deposition, hydrogen bonding, and π-π interaction between adsorbate and adsorbent which play a significant role in adsorption. The regeneration study described that the developed adsorbent could be able to intake 52.75% BghiP and 48.073% IP until the 8th and 6th cycles, respectively. The removal efficiency of the adsorbent in the real sample was also evaluated. This study will provide a method to convert waste material into adsorbent and will remove PAHs from wastewater as a function of pollutant mitigation and waste management.

Keywords: Adsorption capacity; Adsorption isotherm; Adsorption kinetics; Benzo[ghi]perylene (BghiP); Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IP); Removal efficiency.