Removal of Emerging Contaminants as Diclofenac and Caffeine Using Activated Carbon Obtained from Argan Fruit Shells

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

all my remarks are presented in the word file

Comments for author File: Comments.docx

Author Response

Dear Reviewer #1

 Thank you very much for the careful reading of our manuscript. In the following, we address all comments step by step. We hope that you will consider our paper ready for publication at this time. Thank you one more time for your attention.

You find enclosed the requested remarks in the report

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear Authors,

The article presents the possibilities of using argan fruit shells to prepare activated carbon, useful in the sorption process of selected micropollutants commonly found in the aquatic environment.

The manuscript is organized to meet the editorial requirements (requires minor editorial corrections).

The structure is clear and logical. The authors have prepared a broad literature introduction to the topic based on the current scientific knowledge.

The research methods have been selected correctly, and the scope of their application has been widely discussed.

The tables are clear and legible. The drawings are satisfactory (you can work on details, e.g., remove frames in charts or improve the resolution).

 

Although the authors will devote a lot of space to the adsorption process itself, they refer to the works on the subject of their research in a somewhat limited way.

In recent years, there have been a lot of interesting publications on the possibility of using argan fruit shells in sorption processes, for example:

• Regeneration of argan nutshell and almond shell using HNO3 for their reusability to remove cationic dye from aqueous solution (https://doi.org/10.1080/00986445.2021.1963960)
• Nanoporous carbons prepared from argan nutshells as potential removal agents of diclofenac and paroxetine (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2021.115368)
• Hydrothermal Carbonization of Argan Nut Shell: Functional Mesoporous Carbon with Excellent Performance in the Adsorption of Bisphenol A and Diuron (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-018-00554-0)
• Toward new benchmark adsorbents: preparation and characterization of activated carbon from argan nutshell for bisphenol A removal (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0634-6)
• Investigation of hygroscopic equilibrium and modeling sorption isotherms of the argan products: A comparative study of leaves, pulps, and fruits (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbp.2018.11.002)
• Valorisation of Fruits, their Juices and Residues into Valuable (Nano) materials for Applications in Chemical Catalysis and Environment (https://doi.org/10.1002/tcr.202000078)

 

It is inevitable to refer to them in the discussion for the work to be complete. I encourage you to work on the part that discusses the results and the discussion.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer #2,

 

We greatly appreciate your thoughtful comments that helped improve the manuscript. We trust that all of your comments have been addressed accordingly in a revised manuscript, Thank you very much for your effort. We hope that you will find our paper suitable for publication in its current form.

Thank you once again for your attention.

you can find enclosed all the requested remarks in the report.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

The main remarks have been completed by the authors. So, the article is ready for publication

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear Authors, 

thank you, for the corrections made in manuscript.