Abstract:
The aim of the study was to provide an opportunity to reuse of grey water after treatment in order
to overcome the scarcity of freshwater in Pakistan. Treated grey water can be reliable source for
consumption i.e. landscape, public parks and irrigation etc. Rice straw is considered as a waste
material globally and burnt at fields after harvesting of paddy rice so it was used as a raw
material to produce both the filters. It is stated that activated carbon (AC) prepared by agroindustrial waste are considered as low-cost generated as compared to industrially prepared
activated carbon. Activated carbon was prepared in a muffle furnace and added activating agent
(MgCl2) in an inert atmosphere at the temperature 550 o C for two hours. Filters for application
were fabricated by two different methods, one was filled by activated carbon and the other one
partially filled by rice straw and remaining space was filled by activated carbon. Efficiency of
both the filters was assessed by application on synthetic grey water. The FTIR results of MgCl2
Based activated carbon showed 6 peaks which confirms the attachment of aromatics, carboxylic
acids, amides, and miscellaneous classes on the surface. Whereas, FTIR of rice straw showed the
functional groups of amines, aromatic, alkanes, alkanes and amines so it is concluded that
different peaks have the same functional groups but with different structures. While the XRD
analysis of produced activated carbon showed the peaks between 1o to 40o which is the
confirmations of the amorphous crystalline structure and residual ash whereas rice straw XRD
results shows that it is crystalline structure and having good stability for adsorption.
Furthermore, SEM images authenticated the XRD results by showing the presence of MgCl2 on
the surface of activated carbon. It was also concluded from SEM micrographs that the high
temperature and activating agent influences the structure of biomass (Rice Straw) and helps in
converting it into a more use full material. SEM images of rice straw are showing uniform
structure and a series of tunnels. Magnification in SEM at 3000, sub-pores were observed with
the irregular shape and smooth surface. It was concluded that combined filter is more efficient
than the activated carbon filter which has significantly removed BOD5, COD, TSS, Turbidity
and Oil & Fats up to 93%, 92%, 75%, 91% and 93%, respectively and pH of the synthetic grey
water was neutralized from 9.2 to 7.8 by combined filter whereas activated carbon has
neutralized up to 8.0 |
