Using polyethylene terephthalate plastic to produce nano-activate carbon for use in industrial wastewater treatment

The problem of plastic waste and industrial water is one of the most prominent environmental challenges in the modern era. The continuous increase in the consumption of plastic products leads to the accumulation of huge quantities of waste that are difficult to decompose. From here, innovative sustainable solutions emerged to recycle plastic waste and use it in treating polluted water. In this study, activated carbon was prepared from plastic waste and carbonized at a temperature of 450 degrees Celsius after activating it with zinc chloride. Some tests were also conducted to study the properties of the prepared carbon, such as scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, The effectiveness of this carbon in removing organic pollutants and heavy metals, including iron and copper, was evaluated. The optimal dosage for COD removal was 0.03 g, achieving a 100% removal rate. The reduction in iron and copper recorded removal rates of 82.02% at a dosage of 0.01 g and 97.82% at 0.07 g, respectively. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of carbon prepared from plastic waste in industrial waters loaded with organic matter and heavy metals, highlighting its potential as a low-cost and environmentally friendly solution. Further studies are recommended to develop the process and evaluate its efficiency on a large scale.