Powdered Activated Carbon Concentration Research Articles

Development of Hybrid Polymeric Polyerthersulfone (PES) Membrane Incorporated with Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) for Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) Treatment

The development of water treatment system to produce low cost & high quality effluent has become extremely important nowadays. Since year 1960, membrane technology has transformed from laboratory stage to industrial applications stage. The development of newer membrane modules in recent years helps the membrane industry growth rapidly, but the technology is still not so universal due to membrane fouling issue. Additional of PAC directly into the treatment system has proven to be a promising strategy to reduce membrane fouling and improve efficiency of the system. However, there are also drawbacks caused by excessive PAC within a treatment system. In this study, the potential of integrating the PAC into PES membrane was evaluated and its performance was assessed. The result shows that the PAC integrated membrane has higher permeation rate, which is 231 L/m 2 .hr compare to the one without PAC integrated membrane, which only has 89 L/m 2 .hr. In addition, PAC integrated membrane was able to achieve up to 81% and 67% removal rate, compared to the one without PAC integrated which only can remove 10% and 35% of COD and color respectively. Besides, the structural property of the membranes was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed a trend where the membrane with higher concentration of PAC integrated will have better performance in both pollutant removal ability as well as the membrane fouling control.

Effect of powdered activated carbon dosage on sludge properties and membrane bioreactor performance in a hybrid MBR-PAC system

ABSTRACTAn improved insight into the effect of powdered activated carbon (PAC) on membrane fouling is crucial to the MBR performance. Sludge key property, soluble microbial products (SMP) and transmembrane pressure (TMP) were monitored. The membrane fouling rate in the MBRs was also analyzed based on TMP profile and resistance-in-series model. PAC reduced the membrane filtration resistance and significantly decreased the fouling rate. The sludge filterability was improved by extending the filtration time by almost twofold. PAC affected the SMP release and protein/polysaccharide (carbohydrate) was in a lower ratio. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis indicated that PAC decreased the impact of organic carbon, and reduced the proteins’ and polysaccharides’ absorption and deposition on the membrane surface and in the pores. The degree of reversible and irreversible fouling was related to the PAC content added into the MBRs. At the optimum dosage of 2 g/L, the results signified the PAC potential as a mitigation strategy of membrane fouling.

Oily wastewater treatment by adsorption-membrane filtration hybrid process using powdered activated carbon, natural zeolite powder and low cost ceramic membranes.

In this research, four types of low cost and high performance ceramic microfiltration (MF) membranes have been employed in an in-line adsorption-MF process for oily wastewater treatment. Mullite, mullite-alumina, mullite-alumina-zeolite and mullite-zeolite membranes were fabricated as ceramic MF membranes by low cost kaolin clay, natural zeolite and α-alumina powder. Powdered activated carbon (PAC) and natural zeolite powder in concentrations of 100-800 mg L-1 were used as adsorbent agent in the in-line adsorption-MF process. Performance of the hybrid adsorption-MF process for each concentration of PAC and natural zeolite powder was investigated by comparing quantity of permeation flux (PF) and total organic carbon (TOC) rejection during oily wastewater treatment. Results showed that by application of 400 mg L-1 PAC in the adsorption-MF process with mullite and mullite-alumina membranes, TOC rejection was enhanced up to 99.5% in comparison to the MF only process. An increasing trend was observed in PF by application of 100-800 mg L-1 PAC. Also, results demonstrated that the adsorption-MF process with natural zeolite powder has higher performance in comparison to the MF process for all membranes except mullite-alumina membranes in terms of PF. In fact, significant enhancement of PF and TOC rejection up to 99.9% were achieved by employing natural zeolite powder in the in-line adsorption-MF hybrid process.

Adsorption of methylene blue onto powdered activated carbon immobilized in a carboxymethyl sago pulp hydrogel

ABSTRACTThe potential of crosslinked carboxymethyl sago pulp (CMSP) beads immobilized with powdered activated carbon (PAC) as an adsorbent for methylene blue (MB) adsorption was investigated. The finely powdered PAC had an excellent adsorption capacity for MB but was disadvantageous for the separation process from treated effluents. To ease the separation process, the CMSP medium could be advantageous for the process by acting an immobilizing medium for PAC. The MB adsorption reached equilibrium at the 14th hour, and further adsorption was studied to determine the effects of the CMSP concentration, PAC dosage, and pH. Different CMSP concentrations in the preparation of CMSP–PAC beads showed no significant differences; this proved that CMSP–PAC adsorbed more MB than CMSP did. The MB adsorption increased with increasing PAC concentration, whereas the CMSP–PAC beads disintegrated at pH 11.5. In the equilibrium study, the Langmuir isotherm fit well into the experimental data with a linear correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9837 and a maximum adsorption capacity of 250 mg/g. The kinetic study showed that pseudo‐second‐order kinetics accommodated the experimental data well with an R2 value of 0.9512 and a pseudo‐second‐order rate constant value of 3.61 × 10−3 min−1. The crosslinked CMSP–PAC beads have the potential to remove MB dye, and this could be exploited as an alternative to treating colored dye effluents produced by industries such as the textile, printing, and cosmetics industries. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44271.

A case study for orphaned chemicals: 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) and propylene glycol phenyl ether (PPH) in riverine sediment and water treatment processes

There are an estimated 30,000 chemicals in commerce used in quantities >1016kg per year in the US. Unfortunately there is limited information on the chemicals partitioning and reactivity properties. These orphaned or understudied chemicals are viewed as non-hazardous but can still pose serious economic, health, environmental and societal impacts as evidenced by the January 2014 spill of 37,900L of crude-MCHM (primarily 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol) and stripped-PPH (primarily dipropylene glycol phenyl ether and propylene glycol phenyl ether) into the Elk River near Charleston, WV. Using the Elk River spill as a case study of orphaned or understudied chemicals, experiments were undertaken to evaluate the adequacy of standard approaches to emergency drinking water treatment (oxidation and sorption to activated carbons). Further available sorption models for estimating the potential of these compounds to sorb to Elk River sediments and to activated carbons in drinking water systems were investigated. The results showed that powdered activated carbon (PAC) was the most effective sorbent. The trans-MCHM isomer was found to preferentially sorb compared to cis-MCHM. For MCHM concentrations ranging from 2 to 5mgL−1 in the treatment plant, PAC concentrations of 0.1–1.4mgL−1 would be required to lower both MCHM isomers to the CDC screening level. In most cases, published linear solvation energy relationships and quantitative structure activity relationships were inadequate to estimate the a priori likelihood of sorption of MCHM and PPH to sediments and GAC, but did fit the PAC results well. Permanganate and chlorine oxidation of the compounds showed limited to insignificant removal. The studies presented herein suggest that there are still inherent vulnerabilities to drinking water treatment systems that need to be addressed.

Chemisorption of Perfluorooctanoic Acid on Powdered Activated Carbon Initiated by Persulfate in Aqueous Solution.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a perfluorocarboxylic acid that is difficult to treat by most conventional methods. As a result, it is often removed from solution by adsorption on powdered activated carbon (PAC), followed by incineration of the spent carbon. To provide a new approach for treatment, PFOA was exposed to sulfate radicals (SO4(-•)) produced by thermolysis of persulfate (S2O8(2-)) in the presence of PAC. Under acidic conditions, thermal activation of persulfate resulted in transformation of PFOA to shorter-chain-length perfluorinated compounds, as previously reported. However, when thermolysis of persulfate occurred under circumneutral pH conditions in the presence of PAC, a new removal pathway for PFOA was observed. Under these conditions, the removal of PFOA was attributable to chemisorption, a process in which PAC catalyzed persulfate decomposition and reacted with the transformation products to produce covalently bound PFOA. At PAC concentrations between 200 and 1000 mg/L and an initial PFOA concentration of 0.5 μM, covalent bonding resulted in removal of 10-40% of the PFOA. Under these conditions, the process resulted in removal of more than half of a more hydrophilic perfluoroalkyl acid (i.e., perfluorobutanoic acid, PFBA), which was greater than the amount of PFBA removed by physical adsorption on PAC. Although the high reaction temperatures (i.e., 80 °C) and relatively high doses of PAC used in this study may be impractical for drinking water treatment, this process may be applied to the treatment of these recalcitrant compounds in industrial wastewater, reverse osmosis concentrate, and other waters that contain high concentrations of PFOA and other perfluorocarboxylic acids.

Pilot-scale study of powdered activated carbon recirculation for micropollutant removal.

Adsorption onto powdered activated carbon (PAC) is a promising technique for the removal of organic micropollutants (OMPs) from treated wastewater. To enhance the adsorption efficiency, PAC is recycled back into the adsorption stage. This technique was examined in pilot scale in comparison to a reference without recirculation. Coagulation with Fe(3+) was carried out simultaneously to adsorption. Extensive OMP measurements showed that recirculation significantly increased OMP eliminations. Thus, significant PAC savings were feasible. The PAC concentration in the contact reactor proved to be an important operating parameter that can be surrogated by the easily measurable total suspended solids (TSS) concentration. OMP eliminations increased with increasing TSS concentrations. At 20 mg PAC L(-1) and 2.8 g TSS L(-1) in the contact reactor, well-adsorbable carbamazepine was eliminated by 97%, moderately adsorbable diclofenac was eliminated by 92% and poorly-adsorbable acesulfame was eliminated by 54% in comparison to 49%, 35% and 18%, respectively, without recirculation. The recirculation system represents an efficient technique, as the PAC's adsorption capacity is practically completely used. Small PAC dosages yield high OMP eliminations. Poorly-adsorbable gabapentin was eliminated to an unexpectedly high degree. A laboratory-scale biomass inhibition study showed that aerobic biodegradation removed gabapentin in addition to adsorption.

Quantitative detection of powdered activated carbon in wastewater treatment plant effluent by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)

For the elimination of potentially harmful micropollutants, powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption is applied in many wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). This holds the risk of PAC leakage into the WWTP effluent and desorption of contaminants into natural water bodies. In order to assess a potential PAC leakage, PAC concentrations below several mg/L have to be detected in the WWTP effluent. None of the methods that are used for water analysis today are able to differentiate between activated carbon and solid background matrix. Thus, a selective, quantitative and easily applicable method is still needed for the detection of PAC residues in wastewater.In the present study, a method was developed to quantitatively measure the PAC content in wastewater by using filtration and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), which is a well-established technique for the distinction between different solid materials. For the sample filtration, quartz filters with a temperature stability up to 950 °C were used. This allowed for sensitive and well reproducible measurements, as the TGA was not affected by the presence of the filter. The sample’s mass fractions were calculated by integrating the mass decrease rate obtained by TGA in specific, clearly identifiable peak areas. A two-step TGA heating method consisting of N2 and O2 atmospheres led to a good differentiation between PAC and biological background matrix, thanks to the reduction of peak overlapping. A linear correlation was found between a sample’s PAC content and the corresponding peak areas under N2 and O2, the sample volume and the solid mass separated by filtration. Based on these findings, various wastewater samples from different WWTPs were then analyzed by TGA with regard to their PAC content. It was found that, compared to alternative techniques such as measurement of turbidity or total suspended solids, the newly developed TGA method allows for a quantitative and selective detection of PAC concentrations down to 0.1 mg/L. The method showed a linearity coefficient of 0.98 and relative standard deviations of 10%, using small water sample volumes between 0.3 and 0.6 L.

Scalable Fabrication of Natural-Fiber Reinforced Composites with Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Properties by Incorporating Powdered Activated Carbon

Kenaf fiber—polyester composites incorporated with powdered activated carbon (PAC) were prepared using the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process. The product demonstrates the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding function. The kenaf fibers were retted in a pressured reactor to remove the lignin and extractives in the fiber. The PAC was loaded into the freshly retted fibers in water. The PAC loading effectiveness was determined using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area analysis. A higher BET value was obtained with a higher PAC loading. The transmission energies of the composites were measured by exposing the samples to the irradiation of electromagnetic waves with a variable frequency from 8 GHz to 12 GHz. As the PAC content increased from 0% to 10.0%, 20.5% and 28.9%, the EMI shielding effectiveness increased from 41.4% to 76.0%, 87.9% and 93.0%, respectively. Additionally, the EMI absorption increased from 21.2% to 31.7%, 44.7% and 64.0%, respectively. The ratio of EMI absorption/shielding of the composite at 28.9% of PAC loading was increased significantly by 37.1% as compared with the control sample. It was indicated that the incorporation of PAC into the composites was very effective for absorbing electromagnetic waves, which resulted in a decrease in secondary electromagnetic pollution.

Direct measurement of cake fouling potentials by powdered activated carbon during microfiltration of surface water

Powdered activated carbon (PAC) addition is one of the promising options to improve the natural organic matter removal efficiency in microfiltration system. However, there have been controversial research results with impacts of PAC addition on membrane fouling. Direct observation technique through membranes was applied in this study to quantitatively analyze membrane fouling by PAC. Particle deposition rates and fouling potential were measured at various PAC concentrations. Membrane filtration tests revealed that the formation of PAC cake layers on the membrane surfaces could increase membrane permeate flux due to the increased porosity of the cake layers. Increased concentrations of PAC in feed water could increase the thickness of cake layers, yet no significant decline of permeate flux was observed. The proposed direct observation technique, which showed good agreement with filtration resistance measurement, could be applied for the monitoring of activated carbon deposition on membrane surface as well as selecting proper chemical cleaning agents for fouled membranes in a relatively short time.

Removal of high-concentration geosmin using a GAC filter and a cross-flow-type membrane filtration process combined with PAC

The purpose of this study is to remove high-concentration geosmin (GSM) by applying a granular-activated carbon (GAC) filter and a membrane filtration (MF) process injected with powdered-activated carbon (PAC). In this study, laboratory-scale experiments were conducted to (1) develop isotherm equations for GSM adsorption using PAC and GAC, (2) assess GSM adsorption competition by dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and (3) derive design factors for a pilot plant. In addition, the flux of the cross-flow-type pressurized MF was assessed at various PAC concentrations. Based on the results, a pilot plant was designed and operated from 14 July to 16 August 2013. The pilot plant operation achieved not only a stable treated water quality with an average GSM concentration of 10 ng/L or less (removal efficiency: 99.5%), but also a treated water quality with an average DOC concentration of 0.5 mg/L or less (removal efficiency: 91.7%) at the same time. From these findings, it was concluded that it may be possible (a) to meet the monitoring criteria for drinking water quality when high-concentration GSM is exposed, (b) to reduce the total amount of PAC inputs, and (c) to redress possible public complaints about compounds with unpleasant taste and odor.

Ammonia removal in the carbon contactor of a hybrid membrane process

The hybrid membrane process (HMP) coupling powdered activated carbon (PAC) and low-pressure membrane filtration is emerging as a promising new option to remove dissolved contaminants from drinking water. Yet, defining optimal HMP operating conditions has not been confirmed. In this study, ammonia removal occurring in the PAC contactor of an HMP was simulated at lab-scale. Kinetics were monitored using three PAC concentrations (1–5–10 g L−1), three PAC ages (0–10–60 days), two temperatures (7–22 °C), in ambient influent condition (100 μg N–NH4 L−1) as well as with a simulated peak pollution scenario (1000 μg N–NH4L−1). The following conclusions were drawn: i) Using a colonized PAC in the HMP is essential to reach complete ammonia removal, ii) an older PAC offers a higher resilience to temperature decrease as well as lower operating costs; ii) PAC concentration inside the HMP reactor is not a key operating parameter as under the conditions tested, PAC colonization was not limited by the available surface; iii) ammonia flux limited biomass growth and iv) hydraulic retention time was a critical parameter. In the case of a peak pollution, the process was most probably phosphate-limited but a mixed adsorption/nitrification still allowed reaching a 50% ammonia removal. Finally, a kinetic model based on these experiments is proposed to predict ammonia removal occurring in the PAC reactor of the HMP. The model determines the relative importance of the adsorption and biological oxidation of ammonia on colonized PAC, and demonstrates the combined role of nitrification and residual adsorption capacity of colonized PAC.

Combination of adsorption and biological treatment in a SBR for colour elimination in municipal wastewater with discharges of textile effluents

Discharge of textile wastewaters (WW) to municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs) entails the presence of colour in the final effluent. It causes a negative impact on the environment and, additionally, hinders an efficient disinfection by UV lamps. In this work, a combined process consisting of the addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) to a sequencing batch reactor was studied. The main objective was to reduce WW colour in order to obtain transmittance values in the final effluent above 60%, measured at a wavelength of 254 nm, with the aim of ensuring disinfection with UV lamps. Experiments were performed with both simulated wastewater (SWW) including the azo dye Reactive Black 5 and WW from a MWWTP receiving discharges from textile mills. Biosorption increased the transmittance of the effluent around 25% for SWW and 24% for WW, in comparison with the values measured in the influent. The PAC concentrations for the achievement of a value of 60% in the transmittance of the treated water were 250 and 400 mg/L for the simulated effluent and for the WW, respectively. PAC had to be periodically added in order to cover its loss in the waste sludge.

TiO2Photocatalyst Nanoparticle Separation: Flocculation in Different Matrices and Use of Powdered Activated Carbon as a Precoat in Low-Cost Fabric Filtration

Separation of photocatalyst nanoparticles is a problem impeding widespread application of photocatalytic oxidation. As sedimentation of photocatalyst particles is facilitated by their flocculation, the influence of common constituents of biologically pretreated wastewaters (NaCl, NaHCO3, and their combination with humic acid sodium salt) on flocculation was tested by the pipet method. Results showed that the impact of these substances on TiO2nanoparticle flocculation is rather complex and strongly affected by pH. When humic acid was present, TiO2particles did not show efficient flocculation in the neutral and slightly basic pH range. As an alternative to photocatalyst separation by sedimentation, precoat vacuum filtration with powdered activated carbon (PAC) over low-cost spunbond polypropylene fabrics was tested in the presence of two PAC types in aqueous NaCl and NaHCO3solutions as well as in biologically treated greywater and in secondary municipal effluent. PAC concentrations of≥2 g/L were required in order to achieve a retention of nearly 95% of the TiO2nanoparticles on the fabric filter when TiO2concentration was 1 g/L. Composition of the aqueous matrix and PAC type had a slight impact on precoat filtration. PAC precoat filtration represents a potential pretreatment for photocatalyst removal by micro- or ultrafiltration.

Study on transport of powdered activated carbon using a rotating circular flume

This study employed a rotating flume to examine the Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) transport with water flow. The initial PAC concentration was 10 mg/L-30 mg/L, and PAC concentration versus time under a specified cross-sectional averaging fluid shear was observed. Results show that compared with PAC deposition in still water, PAC is depleted to zero faster under a fluid shear of 0.02 Pa, due to PAC agglomeration with the fluid shear. However, since PAC floc size only ranges from a single particle (2 μm) to approximate 6 μm, an increasing of instantaneous turbulent fluctuations could counteract the force of PAC floc settling downward, and as a result the steady PAC concentration increases with the increase of shear stress. It is found that the critical shear stress for PAC deposition is about 0.60 Pa, and further the PAC deposition probability is presented according to the experimental scenarios between 0.02 Pa and 0.60 Pa. Combining the PAC transport and deposition formula with PAC-pollutant removal model provides an insight into PAC deployment in raw water aqueduct for sudden open water source pollution.

Enhancement of removal of trace organic contaminants by powdered activated carbon dosing into membrane bioreactors

This study compared the removal efficiency of 22 widespread trace organic contaminants by a laboratory-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) with and without direct addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) into the activated sludge reactor over a period of 312 days. The removal of hydrophilic and biologically persistent trace organic contaminants was immediately improved to above 95% after the addition of PAC into MBR. However, a compound-specific gradual decrease in removal underscored the requirement for the addition of fresh PAC. Adsorption onto PAC-added sludge appeared to play a significant role in the relatively more effective aqueous phase removal of a few resistant compounds such as carbamazepine in this study. A slower reduction in removal efficiency of compounds showing extraordinary persistence such as fenoprop and diclofenac was observed after raising the PAC concentration in the MBR from 0.1 to 0.5g/L. Nevertheless, comparison of extent of removal in terms of PAC usage indicated the suitability of more frequent dosing of smaller amounts of PAC.

Removal of phenol in aqueous solutions by novel buoyant Composite photocatalysts and the kinetics

Novel buoyant composite photocatalysts were prepared by thermally immobilizing titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles and powdered activated carbon (PAC) onto polypropylene granules (PPGs). The preparation method was examined and the compositions of the developed composite photocatalysts were quantified. The performance of the various prepared buoyant composite photocatalysts was evaluated for their efficiency in the removal of phenol from aqueous solutions. The experimental results showed that the developed composite photocatalysts were buoyant and can display high adsorption capacity and good photoactivity for the removal of phenol in aqueous solutions. It was found that the adsorption capacity increased generally with the increase of the PAC content and the photocatalytic degradation performance can be satisfactorily described by a first-order rate law. The PAC component in the composite photocatalyst appeared to help concentrating phenol from aqueous solutions to the vicinity of the TiO2 nanoparticles and thus made the photodegradation process of phenol less dependent on the phenol concentration in the solution phase, suggesting that there was a synergistic effect of including PAC with TiO2 in the composite photocatalysts. Different TiO2/PAC mass ratios were found to induce different extents of the synergistic effect, as reflected by the values of the apparent first-order rate constant, and a TiO2/PAC mass ratio of 1:1 appeared to achieve better phenol removal performance than other ratios under the experimental conditions tested. In addition, the presence of PAC in the developed composite photocatalyst was also found to largely shield the inhibition effect of chloride ions in the solutions on phenol removal.

Effect of Powdered Activated Carbon to Reduce Fouling in Membrane Bioreactors: A Sustainable Solution. Case Study

Membrane Bio Reactors (MBRs) are mainly used for industrial wastewaters applications where their costs can be more easily afforded. High costs are basically due to energy consumption and membrane cleaning or replacement. Membrane fouling is responsible for reducing treated water production and increasing maintenance as well as operation costs. According to previous researches, the addition of Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) in high dosages could reduce membrane fouling; but such concentrations are economically unsustainable for operative conditions. A MBR pilot plant, fed by mixed liquor of a full-scale activated sludge process from a municipal wastewater treatment plant, was operated dosing low PAC concentrations (0, 2, 5, 10 and 20 mg·L−1, respectively). Experiments were also carried out at two different temperatures corresponding to summer and winter conditions. Results indicated that PAC addition was effective at the low dosages (2 and 5 mg·L−1) by reducing the permeate flux loss (from 16 up to 27%, respectively) while higher PAC concentrations turns out in a useless cost increase.

Study on the erosion rate of powdered activated carbon in raw water aqueduct

Growing interest in using Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) in raw water aqueduct, as a method of polluted surface water treatment, raises the question of transport of PAC in the aqueduct, which is related to the potential PAC erosion along the aqueduct. By means of a recently developed re-circulating flume, erosion rates of PAC with the grain size of 230 meshes (less than 62 μm) depending on shear stress and bulk density were the discussed with real-time measurement of suspended PAC concentration. Lateral cross sectional averaging shear stress was decided by the actual value in the raw water conveying aqueduct of upstream Huangpu River, Shanghai, China, smaller than 1.8 N·m−2. As for the bulk density, it was measured with compacting times varying from 1 d to 15 d, equivalent to 1 550 kg/m3–1 800 kg/m3. Experiments were conducted for the shear stress and bulk density separately, so as to isolate and quantify the effects of one of the parameters. The results demonstrate that, for a particular PAC particle, the erosion rate increases with shear stress and decreases with bulk density as a function of power form. A product of powers of the lateral cross sectional averaging shear stress and bulk density to estimate PAC erosion rate is presented by approximating experimental data sets.

Removal of dark colored compounds from date syrup using activated carbon: A kinetic study

Dark colored compounds in date syrup have been removed using powdered activated carbon (PAC) at different operating conditions including different temperatures (30, 40, 50 and 60°C), as well as different PAC concentrations (0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.1 and 0.12gml−1). Adsorption isotherms of Langmuir, Freundlich, Tempkin and Harkins–Jura were selected to fit the equilibrium data at different operating temperatures. The isotherms were correlated based on the absorbance intensity and the concentration of a colored compound, which gives the same absorbance intensity as the real date syrup. Among the adsorption models, the Langmuir isotherm best fitted the experimental data with coefficient of 0.99. To study the adsorption kinetics, the pseudo-first order and the pseudo-second order models were evaluated to fit the experimental data. The pseudo-second order equation fitted the experimental data very well.