SHRIMP SHELL-BASED ACTIVATED CARBON: EFFECTIVE AND ROBUST ADSORBENT FOR REMOVAL OF IRON ION

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution has posed a significant threat to environmental and human health. In this work, activated carbon synthesized from shrimp shells through KOH activation was employed as an adsorbent for Fe³⁺ ion removal from aqueous solutions. The material was characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and N₂ adsorption/desorption analysis. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to assess the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon, while the effects of initial ion concentration, contact time, pH, and adsorbent dosage were analyzed using Response Surface Methodology. The results showed that the adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics, indicating a chemisorption mechanism. While the Langmuir isotherm effectively described the adsorption behavior. The results also showed that a maximum removal efficiency of 72.31% was achieved at the optimal conditions (19.131 mg/L initial concentration, pH 6, and 130.394 minutes). The findings revealed that shrimp shell–derived activated carbon displayed strong adsorption efficiency for Fe³⁺ ions. This study contributes to the development of eco-friendly and cost-effective materials for heavy metal removal and underscores the significance of utilizing waste materials for value-added purposes in the field of environmental science and engineering.