COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF RECYCLED ANIMAL-BASED ACTIVATED CARBON FOR CASSAVA WASTEWATER TREATMENT: CASE STUDY OF PERIWINKLE AND OYSTER SHELLS

Abstract

Cassava wastewater management have been a serious concern for local industries across the developing world. As such, different cassava wastewater treatment strategies have been adopted across the world, particularly the developing Nations to curb the proliferation of toxins. This work therefore is to evaluate the toxins removal efficiency of two animal-based activated carbon products for the treatment of the cassava wastewater effluents. The two animal-based treatment media used for comparison were periwinkle and oyster shell activated carbon samples Parameters analysed were Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Sulphate (SO42-), Iron (Fe2+), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Chloride, pH, and Cyanide. Out of the eight (8) parameters analyzed, TDS concentration was lowered equally by the two treatment media. Whereas, 50% removal efficiency of treated parameters (TSS, EC, Chloride, and Cyanide) was achieved with the periwinkle shell activated carbon, the remaining 37.5% of parameters (Sulphate, Fe, and pH) treatment efficiency was attributed to the oyster shell activated carbon treatment. Though treated with the animal-based activated carbon samples, the levels of TSS, EC, Chloride and Cyanide were well above the Nigerian Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) Surface water and land disposal limits and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)/World Health Organisation (WHO) effluents discharge standards. This implied that further treatment was required before it can released into the environment.

KEYWORDS:  Cassava Wastewater, Toxins, Removal Efficiency, Activated Carbon, Treatmen