Air and water pollution containing heavy metals such as Pb and Cu pose serious threats to the environment and human health. Pb (lead) in the atmosphere is an undesirable pollutant that causes toxicity in the body, respiratory disorders, and even cancer. Therefore, the removal of Pb and Cu from air and water pollution is crucial due to their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health. Moreover, Pb also negatively impacts terrestrial forest ecosystems, particularly the ecology of insects and wildlife.

Agricultural and forestry biomass waste has long been converted into activated carbon and used to remove various organic and inorganic pollutants, including heavy metals such as Pb and Cu. The sugar palm (Arenga longipes Mogea) is a palm species widely found in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. This study aimed to prepare, characterize, and apply high-performance activated carbon (AC) derived from sugar palm empty bunches (SPB) through thermal activation and evaluate its adsorption capacity for Pb and Cu. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) analysis showed that increasing activation temperature up to 700 °C significantly enhanced Pb and Cu adsorption. Activated carbon produced at 700 °C exhibited a predominantly microporous structure with a BET surface area of 323.34 ± 23.39 cm²/g, total pore volume of 0.14 cm³/g, and particle size of 18.56 nm.

Overall, this study concludes that activated carbon synthesized from SPB is a promising adsorbent for removing Pb and Cu from contaminated water.