Faculty of Science and Technology, Princess of Naradhiwas University, Narathiwat, Thailand
Email: 6461001012@pnu.ac.th (A.B.); sw.saweeyah@gmail.com (S.C.); charawan.d@pnu.ac.th (C.D.); kanokwan.p@pnu.ac.th (K.P.); rawiwan.w@pnu.ac.th (R.W.)
*Corresponding author
Manuscript received April 25, 2026; accepted May 21, 2026; published June 26, 2026
Abstract—The issue of oil leakage into natural water sources has a significant impact on the environment and aquatic ecosystems. Contaminated oil in water can harm aquatic organisms and disrupt the food chain. Therefore, effective oil absorption technology is essential to manage oil spills. Currently, research focuses on using bio-based adsorbent materials such as plant fibers, fruit peels, and agricultural waste to reduce costs and organic waste. This study aims to enhance the efficiency of orange peel for oil absorption by conditioning it with nitric acid and sodium hydroxide, followed by heating at 120 °C for 3 h. The results showed that orange peel treated with nitric acid had the highest efficiency in absorbing vegetable oil 99.48% and diesel oil 99.29% which is classified as “very good”. The factors affecting absorption efficiency included adsorbent size, adsorbent quantity, and absorption time. It was found that orange peel of 1 mm in size exhibited the best absorption efficiency. Compared with recent studies, these findings demonstrate that nitric-acid-modified orange peels exhibit superior oil adsorption performance. The developed adsorbent represents an effective, economical, and environmentally friendly alternative for oil spill remediation, while also contributing to organic waste reduction and sustainable environmental management.
Keywords—adsorbent, oil removal, environmental water, orange peel, absorption, agricultural waste, sustainability
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Cite: Alamee Binsammaae, Saweeyah Chengoh, Charuwan Daengroj, Kanokwan Phumivanichakit, and Rawiwan Wattanayon, "Performance Optimization of Orange Peel as a Natural Adsorbent for Oil Removal from Water," International Journal of Chemical Engineering and Applications vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 23-25, 2026.
