Volarization of Banana Peel Waste into Advance Adsorbent Beads for the Removal of Emerging Pollutants from Wastewater

This study addresses environmental concerns by utilizing banana peel waste to develop innovative adsorbent materials for wastewater treatment, aligning with circular economy principles. Spherical beads were synthesized from sodium alginate mixed with various banana peel-based materials, including pure powder (PBP), activated carbon (AC), and magnetic activated carbon (MAC). These beads were evaluated for their efficiency in removing tetracycline (TC) and hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) as model pollutants representing antibiotics and heavy metals, respectively. Characterization of the beads revealed functional groups and thermal stability conducive to effective adsorption. Adsorption trials demonstrated that MAC beads achieved the highest removal efficiencies, up to 92% for TC and 79% for Cr(VI). The adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherms. Remarkably, the beads retained significant adsorption capacity across reuse cycles, indicating their regenerative potential. Comparisons with other adsorbents highlight the competitive performance of these banana peel-based materials. The results emphasize the potential of banana peel-derived adsorbents as cost-effective, sustainable solutions for mitigating emerging pollutants in water systems, promoting waste valorization and environmental protection.