Production and Characterization of Activated Carbon from Pomegranate Peel for Pharmaceutical Waste (Paracetamol) Removal: Response Surface Methodology Application

In this study, the goal was to utilize activated carbon (designated as PPAC) derived from pomegranate peel (PP) for the removal of paracetamol (PCM). The distinctive structure of PPAC activated with KOH at 800 C was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), revealing a surface area of 692.07 m2/g and a pore diameter of 0.429 cm3/g. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine the relationship between input parameters such as PCM concentration, PPAC amount, time, pH and temperature parameters and the resulting PCM concentration output. Eight kinetic models and seven isotherm models were examined and compared. As a result, a PCM removal capacity of 214 mg/g was attained, with the most fitting kinetic model being Pseudo Second-Order (R2: 0.997) and the most suitable isotherm model being Redlich-Peterson (R2: 0.999). According to the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) results, the most effective parameters are time, PPAC amount, initial PCM concentration and pH, respectively. This investigation provides substantial evidence for the viability of utilizing PPAC as an economical and efficient adsorbent in PCM removal processes.