Effective adsorption of cadmium and nickel ions in mono and bicomponent systems using eco-friendly adsorbents prepared from peanut shells.

The work investigates the potential of peanut shells, an abundant agro-industrial waste, to serve as an adsorbent precursor for the effective and simple treatment of effluents loaded with cadmium and nickel ions. Among the adsorbents prepared, carbonized peanut shell (C), due to its higher adsorption capacity, proved to be the most effective compared to carbonized and activated peanut shell (C). The carbonization process led to structural changes, which resulted in an increase in surface area (around 6 times more in C) and pore volume (around 3 times more in C).