Adsorptive removal of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from greywater using activated carbon prepared from tropical almond and palm kernel shells

Abstract

This study assesses the reduction of 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of household greywater using palm kernel activated carbon (PKAC) and tropical almond activated carbon (TAAC) produced from locally available materials in a kiln at 800oC and activated using steam at a flowrate of 120 mL hr-1. Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) surface area determination revealed that PKAC had a larger surface area than TAAC. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) imagery of the carbons also revealed amorphous and large internal shapes for TAAC while crystalline and closed packed shapes for PKAC. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that the major component present in the PKAC and TAAC was carbon and other allotropes of carbon. Batch results showed that reduction of BOD5 and COD was affected by particle size. The maximum percentage reduction of BOD5 and COD by PKAC was 76% and 65% respectively while reduction by TAAC was 62% and 52% respectively. The adsorption process was well described by the Freundlich adsorption isotherm. The studies showed that PKAC is a better adsorbent for reducing BOD5 and COD from domestic greywater as compared with TAAC. The PKAC is a potential low-cost adsorbent for BOD5 and COD removal from domestic greywater.