Evaluation of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Removal from Tannery Wastewater using Activated Carbon from Terminalia catappa Nutshells

L.G. Hassan; A. Uba; S. W. Hassan; S. Yusuf; M.A. Sokoto; A. N. Itodo

Authors

L.G. Hassan Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry
A. Uba Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry
S. W. Hassan Department of Biochemistry, UsmanuDanfodiyo University, Sokoto
S. Yusuf Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry
M.A. Sokoto Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry
A. N. Itodo Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi

Keywords:

Activated carbon, Adsorption, BOD, COD, Tannery wastewater, Terminalia catappa

Abstract

In this present study, activated carbon was prepared from Terminalia catappa nutshell using two-step process with H3PO4
as activating agent. The derived adsorbent was investigated for % reduction of BOD and COD in tannery wastewater at different contact times. The results of characterization showed the ranges of % yield, % burn off, bulk density (g/cm3) and pH of activated carbons from nutshell to be 17.67±0.04 to 28.94±0.07, 71.06±0.02 to 82.33±0.05, 0.49±0.03 to 0.57±0.01 and 6.31±0.02 to 6.64±0.01 respectively, while ranges for conductivity (ìS/cm), % moisture content and % ash content are 0.68±0.03 to 1.51±0.01, 4.20±0.03 to 7.03±0.04 and 6.50±0.03 to 13.50±0.04 respectively. The adsorbent was interacted with tannery wastewater using batch adsorption experiments and the percentage BOD and COD determined. The results of the reduction efficiency (%) showed that 60.47 % of BOD and 84.21 % of COD reductions were attained at 120 minutes and 150 minutes of interaction times respectively. The adsorption kinetics followed pseudo second order kinetic. Hence, the activated carbons produced from Terminalia catappa nutshell can find application in various wastewater remediations.