Effective Decolorization and Turbidity Removal of Canal Water using Activated Carbon Prepared from Local Agricultural Wastes

Abstract

Beside the known capability of the activated carbon in color removing, it can be also exploited in turbidity removal. In this study, activated carbon was prepared from two local agricultural wastes; corncob and sawdust, through a chemical activation using phosphoric acid and potassium hydroxide with thermal treatment. The activated carbon was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Also, ash and moisture content, apparent bulk density, fixed carbon, pores volume and surface pH were determined. From the obtained results, it could be concluded that both wastes are adequate to prepare effective activated carbon. However, due to embedding high amount of silica, corncob activated carbon reveals higher ash content and apparent bulk density compared to the sawdust one, while the later displays higher fixed carbon and pore volumes. The pH values of Corncob and sawdust carbon were; 7 and 5, respectively. The produced activated carbons were utilized in color and turbidity removal of raw water samples obtained from the Ibrahimiya canal, a long and important drinking water supplying stream in Minia region. The maximum removal efficiencies for turbidity were, 98% and 90% and for color were 87 % and 78% by using corncob and sawdust activated carbon, respectively at a hydraulic retention time of 30 min. The results indicated that both adsorbents are efficient and can be utilized individually to remove the turbidity and color from the wastewater, but the corncob activated carbon is more effective than the sawdust one.