APPLICATIONS OFBIOCHAR AS A SUSTAINABLE OPTION TO REMOVE HEAVY METALS FROM INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENT

Abstract

Application of biochar for the treatment of wastewater is found to be highly competent and innovative method. Natural adsorbents are formed by heating organic waste in the absence of oxygen at higher temperature.The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of co-pyrolyzed biochar as an adsorbent for the mitigation of toxic effluents emitted from industrial wastewater.The proximate analysis of biochar revealed that the moisture, volatile, ashand fixed carbon content were found to be12%, 27%, 17.6% and 65.1%, respectively. The concentration of the heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Ni, As, Hg and Zn) were analyzed inwastewater samples by employing an atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS).Batch experiment was conducted for the adsorption process as a function for dosage concentration (0.1,0.5 and 1g), contact time (30, 60 and 90 minutes) and pH (3,5 and 7). AAS was employed for the determination of final concentration of heavy metals. The maximum removal of Cr (VI) (97.1%) and Pb (87.8%) was noticed with an adsorbent dose of 1g/L, at 90 minutes contact time and pH of the solution was 5.Based on experimental results, it can be established that biochar produced by co-pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse and rice husk can be considered as an efficient and environment friendly adsorbent for the treatment of wastewater containing toxic heavy metals.