This
study investigated
the adsorption
behaviors of pyrene (PYR) on a pomelo peel adsorbent (PPA), biochar
(PPB), and H3PO4-modified (HPP), NaOH-activated
(NPP), and dimethoxydiphenylsilane-treated (DPDMS-NPP) pomelo peel
materials. SEM, FTIR, and elemental analyses of DPDMS-NPP’s
surface structure showed that the material was characterized by a
well-developed porous structure, a large specific surface area (698.52
m2 g–1), and an abundance of phenyl functional
groups. These properties enhance the PYR adsorption performance of
DPDMS-NPP. Experimental results indicated that the adsorption capacity
of DPDMS-NPP was significantly affected by the amount of material
used and the initial concentration of PYR. Kinetic assessments suggested
that PYR adsorption on PPA, NPP, and DPDMS-NPP could be accurately
described by the pseudo second-order model. The adsorption process
was controlled by several mechanisms, including electron donor–acceptor
(EDA), electrostatic, and π–π interactions as well
as film and intraparticle diffusion. The adsorption isotherm studies
showed that PYR adsorption on DPDMS-NPP and PPA was well described
by the Langmuir model and the maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity
of DPDMS-NPP was 531.9 μg g–1. Overall, the
results presented herein suggested that the use of DPDMS-NPP adsorbents
constitutes an economic and environmentally friendly approach for
the mitigation of PYR contamination risks.