Adsorption of Acenaphthene unto Activated Carbon Produced from Agricultural Wastes

The suitability and the performance of activated carbon produced from flamboyant pod back, milk bush kernel shell and rice husk for the effective removal of acenaphthene from simulated wastewater under the influence of carbonization temperature and initial concentration were investigated. The adsorption capacities of all the activated carbons obtained from the selected raw materials are influenced by increasing carbonization temperature. Activated carbons obtained from rice husk at carbonisation temperature of 600°C had the maximum adsorption capacity (5.554 mg g-1) while carbons produced from milk bush at carbonisation temperature of 300°C had the minimum adsorption capacity (1.386 mg g-1), for the adsorption of acenaphthene from the simulated wastewater. The removal efficiencies of the investigated adsorbents generally rank high and the highest value (80.56%) was obtained for the adsorption of acenaphthene by rice husk carbonized at 600°C. Furthermore, the removal efficiencies obtained in the study decreased as the initial concentrations of the adsorbate increased. The four selected isotherm models; Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich described well the equilibrium adsorption of acenaphthene unto activated carbon derived from Flamboyant pod bark, milk bush kernel shell and rice husk. Sequence of suitability of the selected isotherms in the study was Temkin ≈ Freundlich >Dubinin-Radushkevich>Langmuir for adsorption of acenaphthene. It therefore shows that Temkin isotherm is the most suitable model for fitting experimental data obtained from adsorption of acenaphthene from simulated wastewater unto activated carbon produced from Flamboyant pod bark, milk bush kernel shell and rice husk.