Abstract Activated carbon from the shell of the cashew of Para (SCP) was produced by chemical activation with ZnCl using the ratio of SCP: ZnCl2 1.0:1.5 at 700 °C. The prepared activated carbon (SCP700) was used for the removal of two emerging contaminants, 4-bromophenol (4-BrPhOH) and 4-chloroaniline (4-ClPhNH2) that are primarily employed in the industry. Different analytical techniques were used to characterize the activated carbon. From the N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms were obtained the specific surface area of 1520 m2 g− 1 and total pore volume of 0.492 cm3 g−1. The functional groups were identified by the FTIR technique and quantified by modified Boehm titration. The results revealed the bearing of several functional groups on the SCP700 surface, which may utterly influence the removal of the emerging contaminants. The equilibrium experiments showed that the maximum uptaken capacities (Qmax) achieved at 45 °C were 488.2 (4-BrPhOH) and 552.5 mg g−1 (4-ClPhNH2). The thermodynamic parameters demonstrated that the processes of 4-BrPhOH and 4-ClPhNH2 adsorption are exothermic, spontaneous, energetically suitable, and the magnitude of ΔH° is compatible with physisorption. The mechanism of the adsorption of the emerging contaminants onto the carbon surface is dominated by microporous filling, hydrogen bonds, π-stacking interactions, and other Van der Waals interactions. The use of activated carbon for the treatment of industrial synthetic wastewater with several inorganic and organic molecules commonly found in industrial effluents showed a very high percentage of uptaking (up to 98.64%).

    Abstract
    1 Introduction
    2 Materials and methods
        2.1 Reagents
        2.2 Preparation process of activated carbon
        2.3 Analytical techniques used for characterization
        2.4 Adsorption experiments
        2.5 Models of kinetic and equilibrium of adsorption
        2.6 Thermodynamic studies
        2.7 Synthetic industrial wastewaters
    3 Results and discussion
        3.1 Isotherms of adsorption and desorption of nitrogen
        3.2 Qualitative and quantitative functional groups
        3.3 Elemental composition
        3.4 Point of zero charge (pHpzc)
        3.5 TGADTA analysis and thermal stability of SCP700
        3.6 Surface morphology of SCP700
        3.7 Preliminary experiments of adsorption of 4-ClPhNH2 and 4-BrPhOH onto SCP700 carbon and its kinetic studies
        3.8 Isotherm studies of 4-BrPhOH and 4-ClPhNH2 adsorption onto SCP700 carbon
        3.9 Adsorption thermodynamics
        3.10 Adsorption mechanism
        3.11 Application treatment of a simulated effluent
        3.12 Comparison of the adsorption capacity of 4-ClPhNH2 and 4-BrPhOH molecules onto SCP700-activated carbon with other materials
    4 Conclusion
    Acknowledgements 
    References

• Pascal S. Thue(Graduate Science of Materials Program (PGCIMAT), Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS))
• Diana R. Lima(Graduate Mine, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Program (PPGE3M), School of Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS))
• Mu Naushad(Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University)
• Eder C. Lima(Graduate Science of Materials Program (PGCIMAT), Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS), Graduate Mine, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Program (PPGE3M), School of Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS), Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS))
• Ytallo R. T. de Albuquerque(Graduate Mine, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Program (PPGE3M), School of Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS))
• Silvio L. P. Dias(Graduate Science of Materials Program (PGCIMAT), Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS), Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS))
• Mariene R. Cunha(Graduate Mine, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Program (PPGE3M), School of Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS))
• Guilherme L. Dotto(Chemical Engineering Department, Federal University of Santa Maria)
• Irineu A. S. de Brum(Graduate Mine, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Program (PPGE3M), School of Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS), Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS))