Production and characterization of activated carbon from pineapple waste for treatment of kitchen wastewater
Babalola Aisosa Oni, Olubunmi G. Abatan, Ayobami Busari, Olayemi Abosede Odunlami, Clement Nweke
Abstract
ABSTRACT Dried and grounded pineapple peel and crown waste materials were carbonized at 270°C and activated with H 3 PO 4 and ZnCl 2 at an impregnation ratio of 1:1. The activated carbon (AC) characteristics were investigated based on their yield, moisture and ash content, volatile matter and bulk densities. Also, their surface morphology and functional groups were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, Barrett–Joyner–Halenda analysis and Fourier transform infrared, respectively. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total dissolved oxygen (TDS), pH and turbidity were tested before and after the treatment of kitchen wastewater. The results from various pollution contaminant indicators demonstrate the effect of contact time in the reduction of pH, BOD, TDS and turbidity and from observations; an increase in contact time yields an increase in the reduction of all the contaminants indicators tested. H 3 PO 4 -activated pineapple peel (PPPAC) produce the highest percentage yield and bulk density to be 58.15% and 0.42 g/cm 3 compared to others, based on the physicochemical characterization and investigation of the treated wastewater, PPPAC performed better in the reduction of pH and percentage removal of BOD when compared to ZnCl 2 -activated pineapple peel (PPZAC), while ZnCl 2 -activated pineapple crown (PCZAC) performed better in the reduction of pH, and percentage removal of TDS and BOD when compared to H 3 PO 4 -activated pineapple crown (PCPAC).