Efficient adsorption of tartrazine from an aqueous solution using a low-cost orange peel powder.

Orange peel powder was activated using different methods and was used to remove tartrazine (E102) from an aqueous solution. The following three adsorbents were synthethized: orange peel powder activated thermally (POAT), orange peel powder activated with sulfuric acid (POAA), orange peel powder activated with soda (POAS). These adsorbents were then characterized by Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectrometry (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, powder X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and point-of-zero charge.