In this review, several factors have been collected from previous studies on emerging pharmaceutical pollutant adsorption to explain and describe the mechanisms and determine the reactions involved: X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and the Boehm titration are the most used characterization techniques to determine activated carbons’ surface functional groups. Some studies have confirmed that the specific surface area and the pore structure are not more important than the functional groups present in the adsorbent surface to explain the amount of adsorption obtained and to describe correctly the interaction between the adsorbent-adsorbate. After the analysis of several studies, we concluded that to have good adsorption, it is necessary to choose the right treatment with the right activating agent to obtain the appropriate functions that will enhance the adsorption process. In addition, the functions that can react with the pharmaceutical pollutants are the oxygenated functions such as hydroxyl function, carboxylic function, and carbonyl function.

This work aimed to understand the adsorption mechanism of dyes in a binary system onto different raw palm wastes and highlights its high efficiency for the removal of methylene blue and methyl orange in competition in aqueous solution. The proposition of the mechanism was based on several parameters and results for that several studies were performed. Characterisation of the specific surface by the methylene blue method and scanning electron microscopy was carried out to study the specific surface measurement and the surface morphology, respectively, on different raw palm wastes. The central composite design was used to evaluate the effects of the following factors (the solution pH and sorbent dose) also to optimise the experimental conditions. Based on CCD results the optimal conditions are pH = 7 and 90 mg for the adsorbent mass. The kinetic parameters calculated using different models show that the adsorption of the mixture of methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) is fitted to pseudo-first-order. Langmuir isotherm was found to be an adequate model describing the process in its several systems with an amount of adsorbed quantities of about 32.05 mg.g⁻¹ for MB and 16.81 mg.g⁻¹ for MO.

In response to the challenges posed by climate change, this research explores voluntary and planned initiatives for the reuse of treated wastewater, aiming to provide a sustainable water source for various applications. Specifically, the study focuses on the techno-economic aspects of repurposing treated textile wastewater with the use of palm waste filters for irrigation in green areas and cooling towers within the textile industry. Our findings demonstrate multiple advantages in terms of ecology, environmental impact, and technical feasibility associated with treated wastewater reuse. Moreover, the application of palm waste as an alternative adsorbent in the final treatment of textile discharge water exhibits promising results in reducing pollutant levels. The palm waste adsorbents were successfully regenerated through three cycles using an ethanol-water solution. By adopting a water recycling strategy through palm waste filtration, the textile company under study stands to significantly decrease its water-related expenses. This reduction translates from an annual expenditure of 181,542.2 Moroccan dirhams (MAD) to just 9,945.72 MAD, equivalent to an impressive annual savings of 171,596.48 MAD. These findings underscore the economic and environmental benefits of implementing a water recycling system in the textile industry.