The objective of this study is the removal of chromium from tannery wastewater by electrosorption on carbon prepared from lignocellulosic natural residue "peach stones' thermally treated. The followed steps for obtaining coal in chronological order were: cleaning, drying, crushing and finally its carbonization at 900°C. The characterization of the carbon material resulted in properties comparable to those of many coals industrially manufactured. The study of the dynamic adsorption of chromium on the obtained material resulted in a low removal rate (33.7%) without applied potential. The application of negative potentials of -0.7 V and -1.4 increases the adsorption of chromium up to 90% and 96% respectively. Whereas a positive potential of +1.4V allows desorption of the contaminant of 138%.

Crushed peach stone shells were impregnated with H3PO4 of increasing concentrations (30-70%) followed by heat treatment at 773 K for 3 h. Produced carbons (ACs) were characterized by N2 adsorption at 77 K using the BET-equation and the α-method. High surface area microporous ACs were obtained, with enhanced internal pore volume, as function of % H3PO4. Adsorption isotherms from aqueous solution were determined for methylene blue (MB) and p-nitrophenol (PNP), as representatives for dye and phenolics pollutant molecules. Application of the Langmuir model proved the high limiting capacity towards both solute molecules, MB was uptaken in increasing amounts as function of H3PO4 concentration and generated porosity. High removal of PNP was almost the same irrespective of porosity characteristics. Competitive adsorption of H2O molecules on the hydrophilic carbon surface seems to partially reduce the available area to the PNP molecules. Application of the pseudo-second order law described well the fast adsorption (≤ 120 min) at two initial dye concentrations.