Evaluation of Activated Biochar from Sustainable Sterculia foetida Shells for the Removal of AB 158 Dye

The escalating concern over environmental pollution, particularly stemming from industrial effluents like textile dyes, has necessitated the development of sustainable wastewater treatment methods. This study focuses on utilizing agricultural waste, specifically sterculia foetida shells, to synthesize activated carbon for the removal of Acid Blue 158 (AB 158) dye from aqueous solutions. Through a comprehensive investigation, activated carbon samples were produced using various chemical activating agents and characterized using techniques such as BET surface area analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results indicate that the SFS-AC-K-13 adsorbent exhibited superior adsorption performance, with a maximum dye uptake of 388 mg/g and a removal efficiency of 97.89%, respectively. Equilibrium sorption data were analyzed using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, with the Freundlich model demonstrating the best fit (R2=0.9896) to the experimental data. Comparison with literature values confirms the effectiveness of the synthesized adsorbent in AB 158 dye removal. Overall, this research contributes to sustainable wastewater treatment strategies and highlights the potential of agricultural waste-derived activated carbon for textile dye removal applications.