Removal of Rhodamine B Dye Using Sustainable Activated Carbon Derived from Date Stones

The removal of the cationic dye Rhodamine B from water was investigated using activated carbon derived from date stones as a low-cost adsorbent. Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of contact time, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, and solution pH on adsorption performance. Adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-first-order model with a rate constant independent of initial dye concentration. Equilibrium data best fitted the Langmuir isotherm (R²=0.998), indicating monolayer coverage on a homogeneous surface. The maximum adsorption capacity was 278 mg·g⁻¹, demonstrating date-stone-based activated carbon as an efficient, sustainable option for dye-contaminated wastewater treatment.