Performance of maize tassel activated carbon for COD removal from industrial wastewater under optimized conditions

Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

Patel et al. (2019) found that MTAC exhibited excellent removal efficiency for methylene blue dye from aqueous solutions, especially under acidic conditions.

“Similarly, Patel et al. (2019) investigated the potential of MTAC for the removal of methylene blue dye from aqueous solutions and found that it exhibited excellent removal efficiency, especially under acidic conditions46.”

• cites [46] Dharmapriya, T. N., Shih, H. Y. & Huang, P. J. Facile synthesis of hydrogel-based ion-exchange resins for nitrite/nitrate removal and studies of adsorption behavior. Polymers (Basel). https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14071442 (2022). sourceDisputed

  The Conclusions (page unavailable) identify this as a study of PEGDA-MTAC hydrogels for nitrate and nitrite removal, not a Patel et al. (2019) study of methylene blue dye. The Results and Discussions (page unavailable) also report that nitrate adsorption increased as pH rose from 2 to 10, rather than finding the claimed advantage under acidic conditions. (LLM, conf=0.85)

  Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.

Chaudhary et al. (2020) demonstrated that MTAC has high adsorption capacity for lead and cadmium, with maximum adsorption capacities reaching 150 mg/g for lead and 120 mg/g for cadmium under optimal conditions.

“For instance, Chaudhary et al. (2020) demonstrated that MTAC has high adsorption capacity for lead and cadmium, with maximum adsorption capacities reaching 150 mg/g for lead and 120 mg/g for cadmium under optimal conditions45.”

• cites [45] Ashraf, M. A., Balkhair, K. S., Khan Chowdhury, A. J. & Hanafiah, M. M. Treatment of taman beringin landfill leachate using the columntechnique. Desalin Water Treat. 2019(149), 370–387. https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2019.23839 (2019). sourceCould not verify

  The abstract (p. 1) describes column experiments using aquifer sand, peat, and BIRM to treat leachate containing Fe, Cr, Ni, and Cu. Searches for MTAC, lead, cadmium, and the claimed 150 and 120 mg/g capacities found no passage addressing those results in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.78)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

The adsorption efficiency of MTAC increases under acidic conditions due to enhanced electrostatic interactions between the adsorbent and the pollutants.

“The effect of these parameters has been widely studied in the literature, with several investigations indicating that the adsorption efficiency of MTAC increases under acidic conditions due to enhanced electrostatic interactions between the adsorbent and the pollutants48,49.”

• cites [48] Abd Elhafez, S. E., El-Maghraby, A. & Taha, N. A. Adsorption studies of cationic dye on raw and modified sugarcane bagasse from aqueous solutions: Kinetic and isotherm aspects. Egypt. J. Chem. 64(3), 1593–1600. https://doi.org/10.21608/EJCHEM.2020.41762.2846 (2021). sourceCould not verify

  The paper studies methylene blue adsorption on sugarcane bagasse, not MTAC. Section 3.2 (page unavailable) says methylene blue adsorption is favored above pH 6.3, but that finding does not establish whether MTAC adsorption increases under acidic conditions. Searches for MTAC and acidic-condition electrostatic interactions found no passage addressing the claim. (LLM, conf=0.77)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
• cites [49] Bounaas, M. et al. Effect of washing temperature on adsorption of cationic dyes by raw lignocellulosic biomass. Appl. Sci. https://doi.org/10.3390/app142210365 (2024). sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.

CAC is produced from carbonaceous materials such as coal, wood, and coconut shells and has a high surface area ranging from 400 to over 1000 m2/g.

“CAC is produced from carbonaceous materials such as coal, wood, and coconut shells and is characterized by its high surface area (ranging from 400 to over 1000 m2/g) and strong adsorption affinity for a variety of contaminants.”

• cites [32] Muttil, N., Jagadeesan, S., Chanda, A., Duke, M. & Singh, S. K. Production, types, and applications of activated carbon derived from waste tyres: An overview. Appl. Sci. 13(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13010257 (2023). sourcePartly supported

  The Introduction (page unavailable) says commercial activated carbon can be produced from coal, wood, and coconut shell and describes its high surface area. Section 2.2 reports a surface area of 1000 m²/g for steam-activated waste-tyre carbon, but the paper does not give the claimed range of 400 to over 1000 m²/g for CAC. (LLM, conf=0.88)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
• cites [33] Sujiono, E. H. et al. Fabrication and characterization of coconut shell activated carbon using variation chemical activation for wastewater treatment application. Results Chem. 4(February), 100291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rechem.2022.100291 (2022). sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites [34] Alam, M. M. et al. The potentiality of rice husk-derived activated carbon: From synthesis to application. Processes. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8020203 (2020). sourcePartly supported

  The Introduction lists coal, wood, and coconut shells as activated-carbon precursors and describes activated carbon as having a high surface area and uses in contaminant removal. The paper defines CAC as commercial activated carbon in Table 6, but does not establish the stated 400-to-over-1000 m²/g range for CAC or specifically link those precursors to commercial products. Its numerical surface-area examples in Table 5 concern rice-husk-derived activated carbon. (LLM, conf=0.86)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

Other studies have highlighted the effectiveness of MTAC in removing pharmaceutical residues, including ibuprofen and paracetamol.

“Other studies have highlighted the effectiveness of MTAC in removing pharmaceutical residues, including ibuprofen and paracetamol, further supporting its versatility as an adsorbent material for a wide range of industrial pollutant47.”

• cites [47] Jedynak, K. et al. Ordered mesoporous carbons for adsorption of paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Ibuprofen and naproxen from aqueous solutions. Water (Switzerland). 11(5), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11051099 (2019). sourcePartly supported

  The Introduction and Conclusions describe adsorption of paracetamol and ibuprofen from water, but the materials studied were ordered mesoporous carbons (ST-A-P and ST-A-P-CO₂) and commercial activated carbon (WG-15), not MTAC. The Conclusions also say ibuprofen removal was significantly lower than removal of the other pharmaceuticals. The paper therefore does not establish MTAC’s effectiveness or its versatility across industrial pollutants. (LLM, conf=0.87)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.

CAC can effectively adsorb organic pollutants such as dyes, phenols, and pharmaceuticals, as well as inorganic pollutants such as heavy metals including lead, cadmium, and chromium, often with adsorption capacities exceeding 200 mg/g under optimal conditions.

“Studies have shown that CAC can effectively adsorb organic pollutants such as dyes, phenols, and pharmaceuticals, as well as inorganic pollutants such as heavy metals including lead, cadmium, and chromium, often with adsorption capacities exceeding 200 mg/g under optimal conditions32–34.”

• cites [32] Muttil, N., Jagadeesan, S., Chanda, A., Duke, M. & Singh, S. K. Production, types, and applications of activated carbon derived from waste tyres: An overview. Appl. Sci. 13(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13010257 (2023). sourcePartly supported

  Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 1 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 1 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
• cites [33] Sujiono, E. H. et al. Fabrication and characterization of coconut shell activated carbon using variation chemical activation for wastewater treatment application. Results Chem. 4(February), 100291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rechem.2022.100291 (2022). sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites [34] Alam, M. M. et al. The potentiality of rice husk-derived activated carbon: From synthesis to application. Processes. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8020203 (2020). sourcePartly supported

  Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 2 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

It may state two separate claims as one.

Maize tassels are an abundant agricultural waste product and a promising feedstock for producing activated carbon.

“Among these, maize tassels, an abundant agricultural waste product, have gained attention as a promising feedstock for producing activated carbon39–41.”

• cites [39] Enaime, G., Dababat, S., Wichern, M. & Lübken, M. Olive mill wastes: From wastes to resources. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 31(14), 20853–20880. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32468-x (2024). sourceCould not verify

  The wastewater-treatment section discusses producing activated carbon from olive mill wastes, not maize tassels. Searches for “maize tassels activated carbon” and “maize corn tassel agricultural waste feedstock” found no passage addressing maize tassels or their suitability as a feedstock. (LLM, conf=0.75)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
• cites [40] Jagadeesh, N. & Sundaram, B. Adsorption of pollutants from wastewater by biochar: A review. J. Hazard. Mater. Adv. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2022.100226 (2023). sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites [41] Bharathi, K. S. & Ramesh, S. T. Removal of dyes using agricultural waste as low-cost adsorbents: A review. Appl. Water Sci. 3(4), 773–790. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-013-0117-y (2013). sourceCould not verify

  The Introduction describes agricultural wastes as readily available adsorbents, and Modifications of adsorbents discusses activated carbon made from other materials. Searches for maize tassels, tassels, and maize-based activated carbon found no passage addressing whether maize tassels are abundant or a promising activated-carbon feedstock. (LLM, conf=0.72)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.

Juice processing effluents typically exhibit elevated COD and BOD levels, low pH values due to natural acids, and high turbidity from suspended solids and pulp.

“These effluents typically exhibit elevated COD and BOD levels, low pH values due to natural acids (e.g., citric acid), and high turbidity from suspended solids and pulp.”

• cites [4] Sonawane, J. M., Mahadevan, R., Pandey, A. & Greener, J. Heliyon Recent progress in microbial fuel cells using substrates from diverse sources. Heliyon. 8(12), e12353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12353 (2022). sourceCould not verify

  The Fruit waste section discusses residues from juice extraction and clarified cashew apple juice as an MFC substrate, but does not describe juice-processing effluents. The Industrial wastewater and Agricultural waste sections report COD, BOD, acidity, and suspended solids for other effluents; they do not establish elevated COD and BOD, acid-driven low pH, or pulp-driven turbidity for juice-processing effluents. Searches for juice wastewater, citric acid, and fruit-processing effluent found no passage addressing those properties together. (LLM, conf=0.75)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
• cites [9] Sar, T., Marchlewicz, A., Harirchi, S., Th, F. & Taherzadeh, M. J. Resource recovery and treatment of wastewaters using filamentous fungi. Sci. Total Environ. 951(June), 175752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175752 (2024). sourcePartly supported

  Section 3.9 (page unavailable) includes fruit juices among processed fruit products and describes fruit wastewaters as high in COD and organic acids. It does not establish that juice-processing effluents typically have high BOD, low pH caused by natural acids such as citric acid, or high turbidity from suspended solids and pulp. The high BOD reported in section 3.7 concerns paper-pulp effluent, not juice processing. (LLM, conf=0.87)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Probably not a substantial claim.

If untreated, discharges from juice processing wastewater can severely affect aquatic ecosystems by depleting dissolved oxygen and promoting eutrophication.

“If untreated, such discharges can severely affect aquatic ecosystems by depleting dissolved oxygen and promoting eutrophication.”

• cites [1] Periyasamy AP. Recent advances in the remediation of textile-dye-containing wastewater: Prioritizing human health and sustainable wastewater treatment. Published online 2024. sourcePartly supported

  Section 3 says dyes in textile effluent hinder the formation of dissolved oxygen, and Section 3.1 says untreated textile wastewater harms aquatic ecosystems. The paper does not establish this claim for juice-processing wastewater or say that these discharges promote eutrophication; its oxygen statement concerns reduced formation, not explicitly depletion. (LLM, conf=0.87)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
• cites [2] Hashem, M. S. & Qi, X. Treated wastewater irrigation—A review. Published online 2025:1–37.Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

• cites [3] Maia, A. S., Teodorovi, A., Langergraber, G., Ribeiro, A. R. L. & Maja, Đ. Bio-waste valorisation: Agricultural wastes as biosorbents for removal of (in) organic pollutants in wastewater treatment. Chem. Eng. J. Adv. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceja.2021.100239 (2022). sourcePartly supported

  The Introduction reports that dye-polluted water can have harmful environmental effects and reduced dissolved oxygen. It does not establish those effects for juice-processing wastewater, and the searched passages do not mention eutrophication. (LLM, conf=0.84)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

The juice processing industry generates large volumes of wastewater characterized by high organic loads, primarily from fruit residues, sugars, and organic acids.

“Among these, the juice processing industry generates large volumes of wastewater characterized by high organic loads, primarily from fruit residues, sugars, and organic acids4,9.”

• cites [4] Sonawane, J. M., Mahadevan, R., Pandey, A. & Greener, J. Heliyon Recent progress in microbial fuel cells using substrates from diverse sources. Heliyon. 8(12), e12353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12353 (2022). sourcePartly supported

  The Fruit waste section (page unavailable) says orange-juice production generates a large volume of residues, including seeds and peels. It does not say that juice processing generates large volumes of wastewater or characterize that wastewater as having high organic loads primarily from fruit residues, sugars, and organic acids. (LLM, conf=0.78)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
• cites [9] Sar, T., Marchlewicz, A., Harirchi, S., Th, F. & Taherzadeh, M. J. Resource recovery and treatment of wastewaters using filamentous fungi. Sci. Total Environ. 951(June), 175752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175752 (2024). sourcePartly supported

  Section 3.9 (page unavailable) includes fruit juices among processed fruit products and says fruit wastewaters have high organic-acid content and high COD, supporting the claim of a substantial organic load. It does not establish that juice processing generates large wastewater volumes or that fruit residues and sugars are the primary contributors. (LLM, conf=0.85)

  Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

It may state two separate claims as one.

The adsorption performance of MTAC was strongly influenced by pH, with the highest adsorption capacity (464 mg/g) and COD removal of 92.8% at pH 6 and 30 °C.

“The adsorption performance was strongly influenced by pH, with the highest adsorption capacity (464 mg/g) and COD removal of 92.8% at pH 6 and 30 °C.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

Characterization by FTIR, SEM, and XRD confirmed that MTAC has a porous structure and abundant surface functional groups.

“characterization through FTIR, SEM, and XRD confirmed its porous structure and abundant surface functional groups.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

At 40°C, adsorption capacity fell to 440 mg/g and COD removal decreased to 88%.

“When the temperature was elevated to 40 °C, both metrics declined adsorption capacity fell to 440 mg/g, and COD removal decreased to 88% demonstrating reduced efficacy at higher temperatures.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

Under optimized settings, MTAC exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 484 mg/g and attained a COD reduction efficiency of 96.8%.

“Under these optimized settings, MTAC exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 484 mg/g and attained a COD reduction efficiency of 96.8%”

It may state two separate claims as one.

Under optimized conditions, MTAC achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 464 mg/g and COD removal efficiency of 92.8%.

“Under optimized conditions, MTAC achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 464 mg/g and COD removal efficiency of 92.8%.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

COD removal efficiency decreased gradually over successive adsorption-desorption cycles but remained above 85% even after the fifth cycle.

“As listed Table 8, and FigureS1 (Supplementary File) the COD removal efficiency decreased gradually over successive cycles but remained above 85% even after the fifth cycle.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

Beyond the initial period, the adsorption rate diminished progressively, stabilizing near equilibrium conditions by 45 min.

“Beyond this period, the adsorption rate diminished progressively, stabilizing near equilibrium conditions by 45 min.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

MTAC demonstrated enhanced adsorption performance (484 mg/g, 96.8% COD removal) compared to CAC (370 mg/g, 85%).

“MTAC demonstrated enhanced adsorption performance (484 mg/g, 96.8% COD removal) compared to CAC (370 mg/g, 85%)”

It may state two separate claims as one.

Table 7 shows MTAC adsorption capacity of 484 mg/g and CAC adsorption capacity of 370 mg/g under identical experimental conditions.

“Table 7 presents the adsorption capacity of MTAC (484 mg/g) and CAC (370 mg/g) under identical experimental conditions.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

XRD indicates partial graphitization and formation of layered carbon structures.

“Indicates partial graphitization and formation of layered carbon structures”

It may state two separate claims as one.

Peak adsorption capacity of 484 mg/g and 96.8% COD reduction occurred at 45 min.

“Prolonged interaction time significantly improved adsorption efficacy, with Fig. 6 showing a peak capacity of 484 mg/g and 96.8% COD reduction at 45 min.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

At 300 rpm, adsorption capacity decreased to 426 mg/g with 85.2% COD reduction.

“At 300 rpm, the capacity decreased to 426 mg/g with 85.2% COD reduction, and further declined at 500 rpm (390 mg/g, 78%) and 700 rpm (384 mg/g, 76.8%).”

It may state two separate claims as one.

At 60°C, adsorption capacity was 410 mg/g and COD reduction was 82%.

“Further increases in temperature to 50 °C and 60 °C led to additional reductions in capacity (422 mg/g and 410 mg/g, respectively), accompanied by COD reduction efficiencies of 84.4% and 82%.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

Under optimized conditions, MTAC attained a peak capacity of 484 mg/g and 96.8% COD removal, while CAC achieved a maximum capacity of 370 mg/g and 85% COD reduction under identical experimental settings.

“Under optimized conditions, MTAC demonstrated significantly enhanced adsorption performance, attaining a peak capacity of 484 mg/g and 96.8% COD removal efficiency. In comparison, commercial activated carbon (CAC) achieved lower efficacy, with a maximum capacity of 370 mg/g and 85% COD reduction under identical experimental settings.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

XRD indicates reduced crystallinity and dominance of amorphous carbon.

“Suggests reduced crystallinity and dominance of amorphous carbon”

It may state two separate claims as one.

MTAC had a mean adsorption capacity of 484.0 ± 8.6 mg/g, compared with 370.0 ± 10.2 mg/g for CAC (p = 0.0004).

“| Adsorption capacity (mg/g) | 484.0 ± 8.6 | 370.0 ± 10.2 | 0.0004 | Significant |”

It may state two separate claims as one.

At pH 8, the adsorption capacity dropped to 408 mg/g and COD reduction was 81.6%.

“At pH 8, the capacity dropped slightly to 408 mg/g, with a COD reduction of 81.6%.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

At 50°C, adsorption capacity was 422 mg/g and COD reduction was 84.4%.

“Further increases in temperature to 50 °C and 60 °C led to additional reductions in capacity (422 mg/g and 410 mg/g, respectively), accompanied by COD reduction efficiencies of 84.4% and 82%.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

The initial COD concentration of the industrial wastewater was 250 mg/L, and after treatment the residual COD concentration was reduced to approximately 17.8 mg/L.

“The initial COD concentration of the industrial wastewater was 250 mg/L, and after treatment, the residual COD concentration was reduced to approximately 17.8 mg/L.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

At pH 4, the adsorption capacity was 400 mg/g and COD reduction was 80%.

“Similarly, at pH 4, although the adsorption capacity was still relatively high (400 mg/g), the COD reduction was only 80%.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

At 700 rpm, adsorption capacity was 384 mg/g and COD reduction was 76.8%.

“At 300 rpm, the capacity decreased to 426 mg/g with 85.2% COD reduction, and further declined at 500 rpm (390 mg/g, 78%) and 700 rpm (384 mg/g, 76.8%).”

It may state two separate claims as one.

The estimated treatment cost per cubic meter is $1.50-2.10 for MTAC and $7.50-9.00 for CAC.

“MTAC:3kg*$0.5–0.7/Kg = $1.50–2.10/m3CAC: 3kg*$2.5–3.00/Kg = $7.50–9.00/m3”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Maize tassels are an abundant agricultural byproduct.
• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Commercial activated carbon has a market price ranging from $2.50 to $3.00 per kg.

It may state two separate claims as one.

MTAC demonstrated a cost advantage of approximately 64% over CAC, with an estimated production cost of 1.25 USD/kg.

“Furthermore, MTAC demonstrated a cost advantage of approximately 64% over CAC, with an estimated production cost of 1.25 USD/kg, offering a promising solution for large-scale industrial applications where cost constraints and sustainability are critical.”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Maize tassels are an abundant agricultural byproduct.
• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Commercial activated carbon has a market price ranging from $2.50 to $3.00 per kg.

It may state two separate claims as one.

Increasing the adsorbent dose resulted in significant enhancement in COD reduction, reaching 95.2% at 1 g/L and up to 96.6% at 3 g/L.

“As shown in Fig. 5, increasing the adsorbent dose resulted in a significant enhancement in COD reduction, reaching 95.2% at 1 g/L, and up to 96.6% at 3 g/L.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

The adsorption process exhibited an initial rapid phase, with capacity escalating from 430 mg/g at 20 min (86% COD removal) to 464 mg/g at 30 min (92.8% COD removal).

“The adsorption process exhibited an initial rapid phase, with capacity escalating from 430 mg/g at 20 min (86% COD removal) to 464 mg/g at 30 min (92.8% COD removal), driven by the high density of accessible active sites on maize tassel-derived activated carbon (MTAC).”

It may state two separate claims as one.

MTAC had a mean COD removal efficiency of 96.8 ± 1.1%, compared with 85.0 ± 1.5% for CAC (p = 0.0002).

“| COD removal efficiency (%) | 96.8 ± 1.1 | 85.0 ± 1.5 | 0.0002 | Significant |”

It may state two separate claims as one.

The optimal operational conditions for MTAC were pH 6, temperature 30°C, adsorbent dosage 3 g/L, contact duration 45 min, and agitation speed 200 rpm.

“The optimal operational conditions for MTAC were determined to be a pH of 6, temperature of 30°C, adsorbent dosage of 3 g/L, contact duration of 45 min, and agitation speed of 200 rpm.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

Adsorption capacity and COD reduction initially increased with agitation intensity, reaching a maximum of 484 mg/g and 96.8% COD reduction at 200 rpm.

“As shown in Fig. 7, the adsorption capacity and COD reduction initially increased with Agitation intensity, reaching a maximum value of 484 mg/g and 96.8% COD reduction at 200 rpm.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

Maximum adsorption efficiency (464 mg/g) and COD removal (92.8%) occurred at pH 6.

“Maximum adsorption efficiency (464 mg/g) and COD removal (92.8%) occurred at pH 6, suggesting strong electrostatic affinity between MTAC’s functional groups and organic contaminants under slightly acidic conditions.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

At 30°C, MTAC attained its highest adsorption performance, with a capacity of 464 mg/g and a COD removal efficiency of 92.8%.

“At a temperature of 30°C, MTAC attained its highest adsorption performance, with a capacity of 464 mg/g and a COD removal efficiency of 92.8%, underscoring the effectiveness of mild thermal conditions for adsorption.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

At pH 10, the adsorption capacity was 390 mg/g and COD reduction was 78%.

“At pH 10, both adsorption capacity (390 mg/g) and COD reduction (78%) declined, suggesting reduced efficiency in alkaline environments.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

At 500 rpm, adsorption capacity was 390 mg/g and COD reduction was 78%.

“At 300 rpm, the capacity decreased to 426 mg/g with 85.2% COD reduction, and further declined at 500 rpm (390 mg/g, 78%) and 700 rpm (384 mg/g, 76.8%).”

It may state two separate claims as one.

Maize tassels are rich in cellulose and lignin, which are ideal for producing activated carbon with high porosity and surface area.

“Maize tassels are rich in cellulose and lignin, which are ideal for the production of activated carbon with high porosity and surface area11,42–44.”

• cites [11] Alvez-Tovar, B. et al. Agro-industrial waste upcycling into activated carbons: A sustainable approach for dye removal and wastewater treatment. Sustainability. 17(5), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052036 (2025). sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites [42] Sarkar, D., Panicker, T. F., Kumar Mishra, R. & Srinivas, K. M. A comprehensive review of production and characterization of biochar for removal of organic pollutants from water and wastewater. Water-Energy Nexus. 7, 243–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wen.2024.11.001 (2024). sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites [43] Trivedi, Y. et al. Biochar potential for pollutant removal during wastewater treatment: A comprehensive review of separation mechanisms, technological integration, and process analysis. Desalination 2025(600), 118509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2024.118509 (2024). sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites [44] Zhao, R. A review on the catalytic ozonation of pollutants in wastewater by heteroelements-doped biochar: Internal and external doping strategies. Alexandria Eng J. 119(January), 35–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aej.2025.01.088 (2025). sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.

MTAC is a sustainable adsorbent that supports circular economy strategies and advances progress toward SDGs 6, 12, and 13.

“The utilization of maize tassel, an abundant agricultural byproduct, highlights its potential as a sustainable adsorbent that supports circular economy strategies and advances progress toward SDGs 6, 12, and 13.”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: The high cost of commercial activated carbon remains a limiting factor for many industries, particularly in developing countries.
• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Batch adsorption results obtained under controlled conditions are indicative of performance in real-world industrial wastewater treatment.

It may state two separate claims as one.

The Langmuir model indicates monolayer adsorption with a maximum capacity of 484 mg/g.

“Adsorption equilibrium data fitted well to the Langmuir model (R2 = 0.999), indicating monolayer adsorption with a maximum capacity of 484 mg/g, while Freundlich parameters confirmed favorable multilayer adsorption.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

MTAC offers advantages including low cost, availability, sustainability, and potential for waste valorisation.

“Maize tassel-based activated carbon (MTAC) offers several advantages, including its low cost, availability, and sustainability, as well as its potential for waste valorisation.”

• cites [11] Alvez-Tovar, B. et al. Agro-industrial waste upcycling into activated carbons: A sustainable approach for dye removal and wastewater treatment. Sustainability. 17(5), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052036 (2025). sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites [42] Sarkar, D., Panicker, T. F., Kumar Mishra, R. & Srinivas, K. M. A comprehensive review of production and characterization of biochar for removal of organic pollutants from water and wastewater. Water-Energy Nexus. 7, 243–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wen.2024.11.001 (2024). sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites [43] Trivedi, Y. et al. Biochar potential for pollutant removal during wastewater treatment: A comprehensive review of separation mechanisms, technological integration, and process analysis. Desalination 2025(600), 118509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2024.118509 (2024). sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites [44] Zhao, R. A review on the catalytic ozonation of pollutants in wastewater by heteroelements-doped biochar: Internal and external doping strategies. Alexandria Eng J. 119(January), 35–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aej.2025.01.088 (2025). sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: The high cost of commercial activated carbon remains a limiting factor for many industries, particularly in developing countries.

It may state two separate claims as one.

The BET findings are consistent with the observed high adsorption capacity up to 484 mg/g and support MTAC's effectiveness as a low-cost, sustainable adsorbent for wastewater treatment.

“These findings are consistent with the observed high adsorption capacity (up to 484 mg/g) and support the material’s effectiveness as a low-cost, sustainable adsorbent for wastewater treatment applications.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

MTAC competes favorably with commercial activated carbon and may offer enhanced performance for COD removal in industrial wastewater treatment, particularly for low to moderate organic pollutant loads such as juice processing effluents.

“In summary, the comparison clearly indicates that MTAC not only competes favorably with commercial activated carbon but may also offer enhanced performance for COD removal in industrial wastewater treatment, particularly in applications targeting low to moderate organic pollutant loads such as juice processing effluents.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

Higher doses improve removal efficiency but decrease adsorption capacity per unit mass, so an optimal balance between removal efficiency and material cost must be considered for practical and economic applications.

“These findings highlight that although higher doses improve removal efficiency, the adsorption capacity per unit mass decreases, and therefore, an optimal balance between removal efficiency and material cost must be considered for practical and economic applications.”

Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.

All trials were replicated to validate reproducibility, with mean values applied for data interpretation.

“All trials were replicated to validate reproducibility, with mean values applied for data interpretation.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

The SEM-observed structural modifications align with increased adsorption performance and confirm that the activation protocol improved the adsorbent's adsorptive efficiency.

“These structural modifications, as observed under SEM, align with the increase in adsorption performance reported in the FTIR and other characterization studies, confirming that the activation protocol successfully improved the adsorbent’s adsorptive efficiency, underscoring its suitability for contaminant mitigation.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

The adsorption kinetics of COD onto MTAC are best described by the pseudo-second-order model, implying chemisorption as the dominant mechanism.

“These results confirm that the adsorption kinetics of COD onto MTAC are best described by the pseudo-second-order model, implying that the dominant mechanism is chemisorption involving strong chemical interactions between the organic pollutants and the functional groups on the MTAC surface.”

• AssumptionThe authors state this as an assumption: The pseudo-second-order model assumes that chemisorption is the rate-limiting step, involving the sharing or exchange of electrons between the adsorbate and the adsorbent surface.

It may state two separate claims as one. The quote only partly states this claim.

MTAC is a low-cost, renewable, sustainable, and regenerable adsorbent suitable for industrial wastewater treatment.

“MTAC is a low-cost, renewable material derived from agricultural waste, promoting environmental sustainability and resource valorization.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

Monolayer adsorption remains the dominant mechanism, though surface heterogeneity may still play a contributory role.

“Thus, monolayer adsorption remains the dominant mechanism, though surface heterogeneity may still play a contributory role.”

• AssumptionThe authors state this as an assumption: The Langmuir isotherm assumes monolayer adsorption on a homogeneous surface with finite identical sites.
• AssumptionThe authors state this as an assumption: The Freundlich model assumes adsorption on a heterogeneous surface with sites of varied affinities and multilayer adsorption.

It may state two separate claims as one.

MTAC offers a substantial economic advantage over CAC, reducing both material costs and the cost per unit volume of treated water.

“These results confirm that MTAC offers a substantial economic advantage over CAC, reducing both material costs and the cost per unit volume of treated water.”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Maize tassels are an abundant agricultural byproduct.
• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Commercial activated carbon has a market price ranging from $2.50 to $3.00 per kg.

It may state two separate claims as one.

MTAC is cost-effective and derived from agricultural waste, aligning with sustainable waste management and environmental protection practices.

“Additionally, the MTAC offered the advantage of being cost-effective and derived from agricultural waste, aligning with sustainable waste management and environmental protection practices.”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Maize tassels are an abundant agricultural byproduct.

It may state two separate claims as one. The quote only partly states this claim.

The Freundlich model showed a good fit (R2 = 0.995, n = 2.23), indicating strong adsorption affinity and surface heterogeneity of MTAC.

“These results indicate strong adsorption affinity and surface heterogeneity of MTAC.”

• AssumptionThe authors state this as an assumption: The Freundlich model assumes adsorption on a heterogeneous surface with sites of varied affinities and multilayer adsorption.

Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.

All adsorption experiments were conducted in triplicate, and results are presented as mean ± standard deviation.

“All adsorption experiments were conducted in triplicate, and the results are presented as mean ± standard deviation to ensure accuracy and reproducibility.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

The adsorption process is highly sensitive to solution pH, with optimal performance at pH 6.

“These results clearly demonstrate that the adsorption process is highly sensitive to the solution pH, with optimal performance observed at pH 6.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

COD adsorption onto MTAC is spontaneous, mildly exothermic, and governed primarily by physical adsorption interactions.

“These findings validate the experimental data and demonstrate that COD removal by MTAC is a spontaneous and mildly exothermic process, governed primarily by physical adsorption interactions.”

Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.

The use of Minitab ensured precise validation of observed differences and supported the reliability of the comparative findings.

“The use of Minitab ensured precise validation of observed differences and supported the reliability of the comparative findings.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

Combined with its high adsorption capacity and reusability, MTAC is a cost-effective and sustainable alternative for industrial wastewater treatment.

“Combined with its high adsorption capacity and reusability, MTAC is a cost-effective and sustainable alternative for industrial wastewater treatment.”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Maize tassels are an abundant agricultural byproduct.
• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Commercial activated carbon has a market price ranging from $2.50 to $3.00 per kg.

It may state two separate claims as one.

The high surface area and favorable pore characteristics of MTAC facilitate enhanced mass transfer, greater accessibility of adsorbate molecules to active sites, and improved adsorption efficiency.

“The high surface area and favorable pore characteristics facilitate enhanced mass transfer, greater accessibility of adsorbate molecules to active sites, and improved adsorption efficiency.”

Probably not a substantial claim.

The analytical method ensured precise and reliable detection of contaminants.

“This method ensured precise and reliable detection of contaminants.”

Probably not a substantial claim.

The pH of wastewater samples was adjusted to target values (2-8) using diluted NaOH or HCl solutions, with adjustments validated via a calibrated pH meter before each experiment.

“The pH of wastewater samples was calibrated to target values (2–8) using diluted NaOH or HCl solutions, with adjustments validated via a calibrated pH meter before commencing each experiment.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

The optimal batch adsorption conditions for MTAC are pH 6, temperature 30°C, adsorbent dose 3 g/L, contact time 45 min, and agitation intensity 200 rpm.

“In conclusion, the optimal batch adsorption conditions for MTAC are:pH: 6Temperature: 30 °CAdsorbent dose: 3 g/LContact time: 45 minAgitation intensity: 200 rpm”

Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

The decline at 60 min may be attributed to possible desorption or redistribution of adsorbed molecules.

“Interestingly, a slight decline in adsorption capacity was recorded at 60 min (390 mg/g and 78% COD reduction), which may be attributed to possible desorption or redistribution of adsorbed molecules.”

Probably not a substantial claim.

COD reduction was measured according to APHA (2017) Standard Methods.

“After the optimum contact time, the treated samples were filtered, and the COD reduction was measured according to APHA (2017) Standard Methods.”

• cites APHA (2017)Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.

Error bars corresponding to standard deviation values have been added to all applicable figures.

“Error bars corresponding to standard deviation values have been added to all applicable figures.”

It may state two separate claims as one.

The reduction in COD illustrates the effectiveness of MTAC in eliminating organic pollutants and highlights its potential as a cost-effective alternative to commercial activated carbon.

“This significant reduction illustrates the effectiveness of MTAC in eliminating organic pollutants and highlights its potential as a cost-effective alternative to commercial activated carbon.”

Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.

By utilizing an underexplored agricultural waste, the study introduces a novel material to adsorption science and contributes to resource-efficient wastewater treatment aligned with SDGs 6, 12, and 13.

“By utilizing an underexplored agricultural waste, the study not only introduces a novel material to the field of adsorption science but also contributes to resource-efficient wastewater treatment aligned with SDGs 6 (Clean Water), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 13 (Climate Action).”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Maize tassel-derived activated carbon is a novel material in adsorption science.