Nitrate Removal from Aqueous Solutions Using Almond Charcoal Activated with Zinc Chloride

Background & Aims of the Study: Nitrate is one of the most important contaminants inaquatic environments that can leached to water resources from various sources such as sewage,fertilizers and decomposition of organic waste. Reduction of nitrate to nitrite in infant’s bloodstream can cause blue baby disease in infants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nitrateremoval from aqueous solutions using modified almond charcoal with zinc chloride.Materials &Methods: This study is an experimental survey. At the first charcoal almond skinswere prepared in 5500C and then modified with ZnCl2. Morphologies and characterization ofalmond shell charcoal were evaluated by using FTIR, EDX, BET and FESEM. Adsorptionexperiments were conducted with 500 ml sample in Becker. The nitrate concentration removal,contact time, pH and charcoal dosage were investigated. The central composite design methodwas used to optimizing the nitrate removal process. The results analyzed with ANOVA test.Results: The best condition founded in 48 min, 1250 ppm, 125 mg/l and 3 for retention time,primary nitrate concentration, charcoal dosage and pH respectively. The results showed that thenitrate removal decreases with increasing pH. Modification of skin charcoal is show increasingof nitrate removal from aquatic solution.Conclusion: In this study, the maximum nitrate removal efficiency for raw charcoal andmodified charcoal was determined 15.47% and 62.78%, respectively. The results showed thatthis method can be used as an effective method for removing nitrate from aqueous solutions.