Adsorption characteristics of dibutyl phthalate from aqueous solution using ginkgo leaves-activated carbon by chemical activation with zinc chloride

The adsorption of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) from aqueous solution in batch experiments using ginkgo leaves-activated carbon (GLAC) by chemical activation with zinc chloride was investigated. After the activated carbon was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and Fourier transform infrared spectra, the influence of solution pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial DBP concentration and temperature on the adsorption rate was investigated. The isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic parameters were used to describe the experimental data. The maximum DBP adsorption rate was 97.46% at a pH of 13. Increase in GLAC dosage resulted in an increase in the removal of DBP. The adsorption percentage of DBP increased with increased contact time. The monolayer sorption capacity of the biosorbent for DBP was determined to be 129.87 mg/g with the Langmuir isotherm. The equilibrium data fitted better with the Freundlich isotherm than the Langmuir and D-R isotherms. The kinetic data were best described by the pseudo-second-order model. The thermodynamic studies indicated that the sorption process was thermodynamically feasible and spontaneous. Taking into consideration the above results, it can be concluded that the GLAC can be an alternative material for more costly adsorbents used for the removal of DBP in wastewater treatment processes.