Scientific research yields advanced results in treating water pollutants with environmentally friendly materials.
Lecturer M.M. Lubna Raad Abdul-Amir published a scientific paper in the journal (Results in Surfaces and Interfaces) classified within Scopus, in which the research team discussed the development of an environmentally friendly absorbent material to remove the toxic dye (malachite green) from sewage water.
The researchers in the study relied on (activated carbon extracted from pomegranate peel) as a low-cost and highly efficient natural source, as the results showed the ability of the substance to remove the dye by a percentage of 99.85% under optimal conditions that included a concentration of 200 mg/L, a dose of 16.3 mg, and a neutral pH (7), within a period of only 100 minutes.
The analyses also showed that the absorbent material has an amorphous structure and a large surface area, and that the adsorption process conforms to the Freundlich model and second-order kinetics, with characteristics indicating an endothermic and spontaneous nature.
This research reflects a scientific trend towards utilizing agricultural waste in the production of environmentally friendly materials that contribute to protecting water resources and treating industrial pollution in economical and sustainable ways.