Promising Low-Cost Adsorbent from Waste Green Tea Leaves for Phenol Removal in Aqueous Solution

Asmat Ali, Maria Siddique, Wei Chen, Zhixin Han, Romana Khan, Muhammad Bilal, Ummara Waheed and Irum Shahzadi
Additional contact information
Asmat Ali: School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China
Maria Siddique: Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Abbottabad 22060, Pakistan
Wei Chen: School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China
Zhixin Han: Geological Exploration Institute of Shandong Zhengyuan, China Metallurgical Geology Bureau, Tai’an 271000, China
Romana Khan: Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Abbottabad 22060, Pakistan
Muhammad Bilal: Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Abbottabad 22060, Pakistan
Ummara Waheed: Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS University of Agriculture, Multan 59300, Pakistan
Irum Shahzadi: Department of Biotechnology, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Abbottabad 22060, Pakistan

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: Phenol is the most common organic pollutant in many industrial wastewaters that may pose a health risk to humans due to its widespread application as industrial ingredients and additives. In this study, waste green tea leaves (WGTLs) were modified through chemical activation/carbonization and used as an adsorbent in the presence of ultrasound (cavitation) to eliminate phenol in the aqueous solution. Different treatments, such as cavitation, adsorption, and sono-adsorption were investigated to remove the phenol. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) morphology of the adsorbent revealed that the structure of WGTLs was porous before phenol was adsorbed. A Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis showed an open chain of carboxylic acids after the sono-adsorption process. The results revealed that the sono-adsorption process is more efficient with enhanced removal percentages than individual processes. A maximum phenol removal of 92% was obtained using the sono-adsorption process under an optimal set of operating parameters, such as pH 3.5, 25 mg L −1 phenol concentration, 800 mg L −1 adsorbent dosage, 60 min time interval, 30 ± 2 °C temperature, and 80 W cavitation power. Removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) reached 85% and 53%. The Freundlich isotherm model with a larger correlation coefficient (R 2 , 0.972) was better fitted for nonlinear regression than the Langmuir model, and the sono-adsorption process confirmed the pseudo-second-order reaction kinetics. The findings indicated that WGTLs in the presence of a cavitation effect prove to be a promising candidate for reducing phenol from the aqueous environment.

Keywords: wastewater treatment; phenol; waste green tea leaves (WGTLs); low-cost adsorbent; sono-adsorption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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