Highly porous carboxylated activated carbon from jute stick for removal of Pb2+ from aqueous solution

Drinking water is a potential source of human exposure to lead (Pb2+), which can induce several health effects upon exposure to low dose for a long period. In particular, the children and young populations are the vulnerable groups. Removal of Pb2+ from drinking water using an inexpensive adsorbent is a challenge. In this research, activated carbon adsorbent was developed using jute stick, an agricultural by-product. Following carboxylic acid functionalization, the jute stick activated carbon (JSAC) was applied for Pb2+ removal from aqueous solution. The carboxylated JSAC (JSAC-COO−) was characterized using several techniques. The surface area of the JSAC-COO− was 615.3 m2/g. The JSAC-COO− was tested for variable concentrations of Pb2+ (10 and 25 mg/L) at different pH (4.0 and 7.0), temperature (15 °C and 27 °C), and contact periods (1, 5, 10, 15, 30, and 60 min). Up to 99.8% removal of Pb2+ was achieved for these concentrations of Pb2+ within 15 min of contact time. The adsorption process followed standard kinetics, and the adsorption capacity was > 25.0 mg Pb2+/g of JSAC-COO−. The JSAC-COO− can be used for fast and easy removal of Pb2+ from aqueous solution, which has the potential for domestic and industrial applications.