Nickel(II) adsorption onto biomass based activated carbon obtained from sugarcane bagasse pith

► Adsorbent for Ni(II) removal prepared from raw sugarcane bagasse pith. ► Activated carbon (SBP-AC) characterized and batch adsorption studies performed. ► Maximum adsorption occurred at pH 6.5. ► Adsorption mechanism is controlled by pH, Ni(II) speciation and pHzpc of SBP-AC. ► Desorption studies were performed to evaluate adsorbent efficiency. Bioavailability of Nickel in the form of hydrated Nickel(II) attributes to its toxicological effects and hence its removal from aqueous solution is of great concern. Adsorption is used as an efficient technique for the removal of Nickel(II), hereafter Ni(II), from water and wastewaters. Activated carbon obtained from sugarcane bagasse pith (SBP-AC), a waste biomass collected from juice shops in Sarkara Devi Temple, Chirayinkeezhu, Trivandrum, India during annual festival, is used as adsorbent in the study. The process of adsorption is highly dependent on solution pH, and maximum removal occurs in the pH range of 4.0–8.0. Moreover, the amount of Ni(II) adsorbed onto SBP-AC increased with the time increase and reached equilibrium at 4h. Adsorption kinetic and equilibrium data were analyzed for determining the best fit kinetic and isotherm models. The overall study reveals the potential value of steam pyrolysed SBP-AC as a possible commercial adsorbent in wastewater treatment strategies.