Abstract:

As an effort to contribute to knowledge on adsorption onto environmentally friendly adsorbents the removal of BOD and COD of vegetable oil industry effluent using chemically prepared activated carbons from Telfairia occidentalis Hook. F (fluted pumpkin) was investigated under batch and column experiments. Batch adsorption had better performance with BOD and COD removal of 52% to 83% while column adsorption showed BOD and COD removal of 35% to 86%). Chemically prepared activated carbons showed good resistance factors. Both BOD and COD removal varied widely with carbon dose, pH, temperature and contact time. Results show good adsorption characteristics and so fluted pumpkin seed shell has potentials as raw material resource for production of quality activated carbon for reducing organic pollutants of vegetable oil industry effluents in batch adsorption. Adsorbents prepared from fluted pumpkin seed shell using various reagents were used to reduced BOD and COD. An understanding of the conditions for adsorption could provide society with a cheap source of adsorbents for removing organic pollutants from vegetable oil industrial effluents thereby turning waste into wealth.