Phenol removal from effluent by rice husk carbon: batch and column studies

Abstract

Environmental pollution has become a cause of great concern as it continues to increase day by day. One of the major toxic pollutants nowadays is phenol. In the present investigation, experiments were conducted to study the potential of rice husk carbon to adsorb phenol in batch and column operations. Batch studies were carried out to find the optimum values of parameters like initial concentration, adsorbent dose and pH. Column studies were carried out to estimate the time required for the phenol concentration to reach the saturation value and effect of initial concentration on phenol removal. Batch isotherm and kinetic studies were also carried out. The values of contact time, pH and adsorbent dose for initial concentration of 1,000 mg/l and 100 ml of effluent volume were observed to be 100 minutes 5 and 2.5 grams respectively. The time required for saturation decreased with increasing concentration. The saturation time for initial concentration of 1,000 mg/l was 60 minutes against 90 minutes for 250 mg/l. The equilibrium data for phenol uptake followed Freundlich isotherm more closely than Langmuir isotherm. The kinetics of phenol removal best fitted second order model, thought it agreed reasonably well with first order model.