Physicochemical Characterization and Application of Biomass-Derived Activated Carbon for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment in the Algerian Sahara

Resumen

This study explores the potential of activated carbon synthesized from locally available
agricultural waste for the treatment of wastewater contaminated with organic pollutants.
Activated carbon was prepared from TEMJOUHERT (TMG) date palm kernels originating
from the Ghardaïa region (Algeria) via chemical activation using phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄,
85%). The synthesis yield reached 28.56%.
The adsorbent was characterized in terms of bulk density, ash content, iodine number,
surface functional groups (Boehm titration), and point of zero charge (pHₚzc).
Morphological and textural properties were investigated by SEM and BET analyses,
revealing a high specific surface area (639.92 m² g⁻¹) and a micropore volume of 0.4208 cm³
g⁻¹. The adsorption performance was evaluated using real wastewater samples collected
from the Atteuf (Kef Doukhane) area. Under optimal operating conditions (1 g adsorbent
per 100 mL, 90 min contact time, 250 rpm), removal efficiencies of 84.75% for PO₄³⁻,
85.21% for COD, and 74.55% for NH₄⁺ were achieved. These results confirm the suitability
of date palm kernel–derived activated carbon as an efficient and sustainable adsorbent for
wastewater treatment.