Assessment of sullage chemical properties treated with activated carbon from selected agrowastes

Date

2019

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Elixir Publishers

Abstract

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.

Description

The article contains tables and figure

Keywords

Activated Carbon, agro-wastes, carbonization, sullage

Citation

Nduka, Chidimma Adamma, Okereke, Josephath Nwabueze & Chukwudi Peter (2019). Assessment of sullage chemical properties treated with activated carbon from selected agrowastes. Elixir Bio. Technology, 133, 53520-53523

DOI