Investigation of the usability of activated carbon produced from olive oil factory solid waste (pirina) for the adsorption of pesticides in aqueous solution

In our country, olive oil production has a very serious share in comparison with other countries, and solid waste (olive oil plants) is an important environmental problem. In this study, it was aimed to reduce the harmful effects of these wastes to the environment by using olive oil factories, raw materials used in the production of activated carbon and using unutilized economy. Activated carbon; The activation process applied to the materials with high carbon content can be defined as the adsorber material which has been improved to the inner surface area and pore volume. In this study, activated carbon was produced and characterized at different activation temperatures by chemical activation method from pirina which is a solid waste of olive oil factory. In addition, the pesticide removal capacity from aqueous solutions of active carbon with the highest surface area was investigated. Activated carbon was first produced at different activation temperatures (500, 600, 700, 800 and 900 oC) at the rate of chemical impregnation of 3/1 zinc chloride (ZnCl2) to investigate the effect of activation temperature on activated carbon properties. Moisture, ash, volatile matter, fixed carbon analyzes and elemental analyzes were performed to characterize the obtained activated carbons, surface area and pore properties were determined, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and electron microscope (SEM) images were taken. According to the characterization procedures, the highest surface area was reached at an activation temperature of 800 °C at 1418 m2/g. The activated carbon obtained in these conditions was used as an adsorbent in pesticide removal studies from aqueous solutions. In the second phase of the study, 2,4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) and Metribuzin pesticide species were adsorbed from aqueous solutions. The effects of adsorbent amount, solution pH, solution temperature, initial concentration and contact time on adsorption process were investigated in adsorption experiments. The equilibrium data of both 2,4-D and Metribuzin pesticides were found to be in agreement with the Langmuir Isotherm Model. Adsorption capacities were determined as about 124-128 mg/g for 2,4-D and about 118-145 mg/g for Metribuzine.