4. Conclusions
Activated carbon (AC) materials were prepared from olive solid
wastes for the purpose of removal of nitrite ions from water.
Chemical activation, using two different non-hazardous materials,
H3PO4 and ZnCl2, was investigated. The ZnCl2 showed a product
with high surface area and high adsorption capacity for nitrite ions,
with the potential to bring the contaminant concentration to
within acceptable limits. The ZnCl2-activated AC showed much
higher adsorption capacity than earlier reported materials. The
results show the added value of using the proper activating agents
to produce AC materials from olive solid waste, especially in olive
tree-rich Mediterranean countries.