REMOVAL OF PHENOL, A MUTAGENIC, SMALL-SIZED SUBSTANCE AND PRECURSOR OF MANY POLLUTANTS IN WATER

The present study aims at valorizing the stem of Hibiscus sabdariffa, a by-product of agriculture in Benin. This natural resource, abundant in tropical countries, including Benin, was until now considered as a biodegradable waste and treated as such. However, it possesses adsorption properties that can be exploited through its transformation into activated carbon for various uses, including water pollution control. For this purpose, activated carbon has been developed from Hibiscus sabdariffa stems chemically impregnated with phosphoric acid. The pseudo second-order model predicts the kinetics of phenol adsorption on the activated carbon produced. The thermodynamic study of the adsorption process of phenol shows that it is exothermic and spontaneous with an ordered structure on the surface of the material.