Testing of a Laboratory Wastewater Treatment Prototype Using Coagulation, Adsorption and Photo-Fenton Processes

Abstract

Research activities carried out in the laboratory produce a complex wastewater which can damage the environmental system if it is directly disposed of without treatment. A laboratory wastewater treatment prototype was designed and constructed to process the wastewater based on the previous research. The prototype is needed in the laboratory to treat the wastewater before discharged into the environment, so it can meet the wastewater quality standards. The wastewater treatment aimed to reduce the pollutant level contained in laboratory wastewater. The objective of this study is to test the efficacy of the prototype. This test was conducted using a combination process of coagulation, adsorption, and photo-Fenton methods. The pollutant parameters were descripted in the form of pH, TSS, COD, BOD, heavy metals of Cadmium, Zinc, Copper, Chromium total, Lead, and Iron. The test of wastewater treatment prototype was carried out using the optimum conditions obtained in previous studies. The best results found from previous studies were attained at laboratory scale by means of ordinary glassware. The results of the initial analysis of laboratory wastewater sample showed that the laboratory wastewater did not meet the wastewater quality standards stipulated in the Minister of Environment regulations of the Republic of Indonesia No.5 of 2014 on Wastewater Quality Standards. In this study, the laboratory wastewater was treated by applied the pre-treatment method of coagulation and adsorption, using alum and activated carbon, separately. By using the wastewater treatment prototype, the removal percentage of COD, BOD, and TSS of 31.47%, 39.90%, and 90.24%, was reached, respectively. The heavy metals content was also reduced, with the removal percentage