Bagasse and bamboo charcoal comparison: as adsorbents for waste water to comply with Indonesian environmental quality standards

Abstract

Bagasse; which is sugar cane waste; and bamboo charcoal usually are disposed of right away. However, if both are further being processed, they would have had economic values; which one of them is as adsorbent for waste formation water from petroleum production operation, to comply with Indonesian environmental quality standard for waste water disposal. The aims and the objectives of this research are to obtain the adsorption ability of bagasse and bamboo charcoal, and the adsorption ratios of the two materials. First, it is necessary to activate carbon which presents in bagasse and bamboo charcoal waste, by grinding the materials. Then, there are five concentrations for each of the adsorbent in the waste water being used; 0.5 gr/cc, 1 gr/cc, 1.5 gr/cc, 2 gr/cc, and 2.5 gr/cc. This study indicates that the adsorbent from bagasse and bamboo charcoal does able to reduce the pH, salinity and TDS values according to the standard qualities set by the government. Bagasse adsorbent with concentrations of 1.5 gr/cc, 2 gr/cc, and 2.5 gr/cc would able to reduce pH value of waste water to meet government’s standard quality, while bamboo charcoal adsorbent with concentrations of 2 gr/cc and 2.5 gr/cc would able to reduce the pH value of standard value. The higher the concentration of bagasse and bamboo charcoal the lower the values of pH, salinity, and TDS. Comparing bagasse and bamboo charcoal; bagasse performance is better than bamboo charcoal.