REMOVAL OF COD FROM PHARMACEUTICAL WASTEWATER USING SUGARCANE BAGASSE AND BETONITE CLAY

F. A. Aderibigbe; I. A. Mohammed; S. I. Mustapha; H. B. Saka; M. K. Amosa; A. I. Adejumo; R. U. Owolabi; A. B. Shittu

F. A. Aderibigbe Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
I. A. Mohammed Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
S. I. Mustapha Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
H. B. Saka Quality Control Department, Segmax Oil Nigeria Limited, Kere-Aje, Ogbondoroko, Kwara State, Nigeria
M. K. Amosa Waste Management Unit, HSE Division, Department of Petroleum Resources, 7, Sylvester Ugoh Crescent, Jabi, Abuja-FCT, Nigeria
A. I. Adejumo Department of Chemical Engineering, Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria
R. U. Owolabi Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
A. B. Shittu Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria

Keywords: Adsorption, Pharmaceutical Wastewater, COD, Sugar Cane Bagasse, Clay

Abstract

Water pollution is a major concern because of its negative effect on humans, plants and aquatic creatures. The concentration of COD in the wastewater is an indication of its impurity. Various pollutants impart COD to the water; hence, its removal is synergistically adequate for the removal of these impurities (organic and inorganic). The cost of adsorbents and the problems associated with their regeneration had led to the search for alternate low-cost adsorbents. This study involved the treatment of wastewater obtained from a pharmaceutical industry in Ilorin, Nigeria using sugar-cane bagasse and clay as adsorbents for the reduction of COD to a permissible level set by the World Health Organization for reuse as irrigation water for agricultural activities. For the treatment process, 27 experimental runs were designed, executed and analyzed to identify the best operating condition that brings about the lowest residual COD concentration. An optimum COD removal response of 97.8 % was obtained at adsorption conditions of adsorbent loading 0.75 g/mL, temperature 45 ℃ and retention time of 120 min. The developed composite adsorbent reduced the COD content to a permissible level.