DERIVATION OF OIL PALM SHELL-BASED ADSORBENT USING H2SO4 TREATMENT FOR REMOVAL OF ATRAZINE FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS

Activated carbon is a prominent material for adsorption of atrazine, however its usage is restricted due to the high cost. Thus, alternative adsorbent derived from agricultural waste has been investigated. This study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of oil palm shell-based adsorbent to remove atrazine from aqueous solutions. Oil palm shell-based adsorbent was prepared using H2SO4 treatment. The adsorbent was characterized for the surface morphology and surface chemistry via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. SEM micrographs confirmed that the H2SO4 treatment developed porosity on the surface of the adsorbent. The FTIR spectrum obtained for the adsorbent before and after the treatment was almost similar. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to determine the effects of initial atrazine concentration (5 - 30 mg/L), contact time, adsorbent dosage (0.2 – 2.0 g) and solution pH (pH 2 - 12) on the adsorption uptake of the adsorbent for atrazine. The adsorption uptake of atrazine increased with increasing initial concentration. The percentage of removal of atrazine increased with increasing adsorbent dosage, but it decreased as the solution pH increased. The equilibrium data were well described by the Freundlich isotherm model. Kinetic studies showed that the adsorption of atrazine on the adsorbent followed the pseudosecond-order kinetic model. Based on the experimental results, it was evident that the oil palm shell-based adsorbent derived in this work might be employed as a low cost adsorbent for removal of atrazine from aqueous solutions.