Frikson Jony Purba, Kerista Tarigan, Tua Raja Simbolon, Rikson Siburian, Fatima Sari Ritonga
The performance of carbon derived from tuna fishbone waste to remove iron (Fe) from well water was studied. Samples were taken from wells belonging to residents in Bandar Setia, Medan. The parameters of carbon synthesis were set by varying the carbonization temperature of 300, 400, and 500°C (C300, C400, and C500). The synthesized carbon samples were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Specific Surface Area (SSA). The SEM-EDX and XRD results reveal that there is a decrease in carbon composition and an increase in the hydroxyapatite peak as the carbonization temperature increases. Meanwhile, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) analyses showed that the increase in carbon surface area and pore size was proportional to the increase in carbonization temperature. The carbon samples were then used as adsorbents to reduce Fe concentration in the sampled well water. The optimum result was achieved by the C400 sample with 99% Fe removal. Compared to similar studies, this result is higher than other carbon-derived adsorbents. Future studies should explore the performance of yellowfin tuna bones-derived carbon for other pollutants. © 2025 by SPC (Sami Publishing Company).
Graduate Program in Teacher Professional Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Katolik Santo Thomas, Medan, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politeknik Negeri Medan, Medan, Indonesia