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.