Abstract
The present research work focused on the removal of pollutants from refinery waste water using date palm seed charcoal as adsorbent. A series of batch experimental studies were performed in the treatment of petroleum industry effluent by varying the adsorbent size (AS), contact time (CT) and adsorbent dosage (AD). The effectiveness of date palm seed activated carbon for the treatment of wastewater before and after is assessed by measuring the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Turbidity. The statistical modeling of batch experiments for the optimization of processing parameters is carried out using Response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum processing conditions obtained are contact time =169.422 min, particle size =296.074 pm and adsorbent dosage =1gm. The optimum percentage removals of BOD, COD, TDS, TOC, TSS and Turbidity were found to be 84.048, 92.770, 91.667, 95.473, 95.650 and 88.423 respectively.
The equilibrium data corresponding to the optimum conditions were analysed using Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models and the study shows that Freundlich model was found to be the best fit to describe the experimental data. Adsorption thermodynamic studies are also carried out and the results suggest that the system is endothermic, favorable and spontaneous in nature.