Orange Peels as a Sustainable Material for Treating Water Polluted with Antimony

Abstract

Water pollution has increased due to human activities; consequently, it is essential to treat both surface water and ground water so they are suitable to meet the needs of the population. This study will discuss water treatment intended to remove antimony. Antimony (Sb) is classed as a high-priority toxic pollutant because of its adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. There are several methods for removing antimony from water, including adsorption, coagulation, ion exchange, and electrochemical treatment. This study focuses on the adsorption method as researchers have, in recent times, been seeking adsorbents that are environmentally friendly and cost-effective and that do not leave a residue. The study investigates the use of orange peels treated with acetic acid as an adsorbent to remove antimony ions from a simulated aqueous solution. The results revealed that 5 g of treated orange peels is 98.5% effective at treating water at a pH of 6, for a contact time of 150 minutes, at a mixing speed of 450 rpm.