Removal of Pesticide (Oxamyl) from Water using Activated Carbons Developed from Apricot Stones

Four stream- activated carbons were prepared by carbonizing apricot stones at $600^{\circ}C$ followed by gasification with steam at $950^{\circ}C$ to burn-off's=17, 32, 49 and 65%. The textural parameters of these activated carbons were determined from nitrogen adsorption results at 77 K. The total pore volume and the mean pore radius increased with the increase of % burn-off whereas the surface area increased with the increase of burn- off from 17 to 32 and further to 49%. Further increase of burn-off to 65% was associated with a considerable decrease in surface area as a result of pronounced pore widening due to pore erosion. The surface pH values of the carbons investigated range between 7.1 and 8.2. The adsorption of oxamyl onto the activated carbon followed pseudo-second order kinetics and the equilibrium adsorption isotherms fitted Langmuir adsorption model. The adsorption of oxamyl proved to be of the physical type and took place in non-micropores. The amount of oxamyl adsorbed expressed as $q_m$ depends to a large extent to the surface area located in non-micropores $S^{\propto}\;_n$, where a straight line relationship passing through the origin was obtained.