Abstract
Aquaculture can generate toxic effluent that have a deleterious effect on the aqueous environment. The aim of this study was to synthesise a nano-composite of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NP) and kaolin (CuO-NC) for the regulation of some physico-chemical parameters of aquaculture effluent before being discharged into the environment. CuO-NP was obtained from a green synthesis route from watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) rind. The synthesised nanoparticles (NPs) were characterised by particle size analyser, BET, DTA/TGA and FTIR. The green synthesis technique was successfully able to achieve nano-sized particles. BET by computational analysis revealed that CuO-NC has 174.2 m2/g specific surface area, 0.2108 cm 3/g pore volume, and 2.647 nm pore size. CuO-NC was thermally stable up to 270 °C. Also, CuO-NC in addition to the CuO-NP had some hydroxide salt moieties. The utilisation of CuO-NC in treating aquaculture effluent was able to successfully regulate the pH, colour, odour, dissolved oxygen, total alkalinity, chemical oxygen demand Copper and Lead in line with permissible limits. Based on the discussions, the process was considered technically feasible for scale-up and implementation as a sustainable water resource management technology.
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