Tendu leaves refuse as a biosorbent for COD removal from molasses fermentation based bulk drug industry effluent

Abstract

Physico-chemical properties of effluent from a molasses fermentation based bulk drug unit were analyzed and found to be typical of the effluent from molasses fermentation except for high amount of phenols. The Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal capacity of tendu (Diospyros melanoxylon) leaves refuse of bidi industry and its comparison with Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) has been presented. Batch kinetics and isotherm studies were studied under varying experimental conditions of contact time, COD concentration, adsorbent dose and pH. Maximum COD removal was observed at a narrow pH range between 7 and 8. The kinetic data were best fitted to the pseudo-second-order chemisorption model. The adsorption followed both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. As per Langmuir model, maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 48.54 mg and 154.8 mg COD per g for tendu leaves refuse and GAC, respectively. The results illustrate how tendu leaves refuse, a solid waste disposal menace from bidi industry, is effective biosorbent for the removal of COD; offering a cheap option for primary treatment of the effluent.

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management Vol. 10 (3) 2006: 15-20