This research aims to optimize preparation conditions of coconut-shell-based activated carbon (CSAC) and to evaluate its adsorption performance in removing POP of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). The CSAC was prepared by activating the coconut shell via single-stage microwave heating under carbon dioxide, CO2 flow. The total pore volume, BET surface area, and average pore diameter of CSAC were 0.420 cm3/g, 625.61 m2/g, and 4.55 nm, respectively. The surface of CSAC was negatively charged

more »

... hown by the zeta potential study. Response surface methodology (RSM) revealed that the optimum preparation conditions in preparing CSAC were 502 W and 6 min for radiation power and radiation time, respectively, which corresponded to 84.83% of DDT removal and 37.91% of CSAC's yield. Adsorption uptakes of DDT were found to increase with an increase in their initial concentration. Isotherm study revealed that DDT-CSAC adsorption system was best described by the Langmuir model with monolayer adsorption capacity, Qm of 14.51 mg/g. The kinetic study confirmed that the pseudo-second-order model fitted well with this adsorption system. In regeneration studies, the adsorption efficiency had slightly dropped from 100% to 83% after 5 cycles. CSAC was found to be economically feasible for commercialization owing to its low production cost and high adsorption capacity.