School of Biological Sciences

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Browsing School of Biological Sciences by Subject "agro-wastes"

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    Assessment of sullage chemical properties treated with activated carbon from selected agrowastes
    (Elixir Publishers, 2019) Nduka, Chidimma Adamma; Okereke, Josephath Nwabueze; Chukwudi, Peter
    Sullage was treated with selected carbonized Agro-wastes (rice husk, corn cob and coconut husk). The Agro-wastes were first carbonized at 600oC and chemically activated using phosphoric acid (H3PO4). They were then used as adsorbents for the removal of chemical compounds: pH, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), nitrate (NO3-), phosphate (PO4-), chloride (Cl-) and sulphate (SO4 2-) from sullage using titration and spectrophotometer methods. Initial concentration of the chemical parameters of sullage samples showed COD to be 486.2±87 mg/l; BOD: 175.0±3.1 mg/l; pH: 7.33±0.1; Cl-: 31.0±5.5 mg/l; NO3-: 28.6±24 ppm; PO4-: 7.08±3.2 ppm and SO4 2-:347.08±67.1 ppm. After treatments, COD ranged from 122.2±10 - 190.5±25 mg/l; BOD: 44.0±3.5 – 68.6.0±9.0 mg/l; pH: 7.08±0.1 - 7.18±0.1; Cl-: 17.28 - 21.13 mg/l; NO3-: 0.0 - 12.79 ppm and SO4 2-: 117.7 - 251.7 ppm. There was significant difference (p≤0.05) between the untreated and the treated sullage samples. The efficiency of the individual adsorbents in absorbing the chemical parameters was of this order: ricehusk>corncob>coconut husk. In combination it was, rice husk+corncob+coconuthusk > ricehusk+corncob > corncob+coconuthusk > ricehusk+coconuthusk. High percentage reduction observed of chemical properties revealed that activated carbons from rice husk, corn cob and coconut husk can be used singly or combined for the purification of sullage.