Valorizing Date Seeds into Biochar for Pesticide Removal: A Sustainable Approach to Agro-Waste-Based Wastewater Treatment

Ivana Mihajlović, Ali Hgeig, Mladenka Novaković (), Vesna Gvoić, Dejan Ubavin, Maja Petrović and Tonni Agustiono Kurniawan ()
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Ivana Mihajlović: Department of Environmental Engineering and Occupational Safety and Health, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Ali Hgeig: Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Nalut University, Nalut, Libya
Mladenka Novaković: Department of Environmental Engineering and Occupational Safety and Health, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Vesna Gvoić: Department of Graphic Engineering and Design, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Dejan Ubavin: Department of Environmental Engineering and Occupational Safety and Health, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Maja Petrović: Department of Environmental Engineering and Occupational Safety and Health, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Tonni Agustiono Kurniawan: College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-32

Abstract: The increasing prevalence of emerging pesticides in aquatic ecosystems poses significant risks to environmental and human health. This study explores the valorization of date seeds—an abundant agro-waste in arid and semi-arid regions—into functional biochar for the adsorption of emerging pesticides from contaminated wastewater. Biochar was synthesized via pyrolysis at 550 °C for 30 min under a nitrogen atmosphere and characterized using BET and FT-IR techniques. The prepared date seed biochar (DSBC) exhibited a high specific surface area of 307.45 m 2 /g and a well-developed microporous structure conducive to pollutant adsorption. The optimized DSBC achieved maximum adsorption capacities of 28.3 mg/g for carbendazim and 25.7 mg/g for linuron. The removal efficiency exceeded 90% for all pesticides at pH 6–8 and equilibrium was reached within 60 min. Regeneration tests demonstrated that DSBC retained its removal efficiency of 60.3% and 75.5% for carbendazim and linuron, respectively, after tenth cycles, highlighting its reusability and cost-effectiveness. Significant performance potential was demonstrated via the formed biochar regarding stability when exposed to real wastewater composition. Overall, date seed biochar presents a sustainable, low-cost, and efficient solution for mitigating pesticide pollution in wastewater treatment systems.

Keywords: emerging micropollutants; adsorption performance; economic evaluation; mitigation strategies; circular economy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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