Implementation of FeSO<sub>4</sub>·H<sub>2</sub>O as an Eco-Friendly Coagulant for the Elimination of Organic Pollutants from Tertiary Palm Oil Mill Effluent: Process Optimization, Kinetics, and Thermodynamics Studies

oleh: Md. Sohrab Hossain, Shabib Al Rashdi, Yaman Hamed, Adel Al-Gheethi, Fatehah Mohd Omar, Muzafar Zulkifli, Ahmad Naim Ahmad Yahaya

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-11-01

Deskripsi

The biologically treated palm oil mill effluent (POME) urges further treatment to minimize the residual pollutant concentration for safe discharge in the nearest watercourse. In the present study, the post-treatment of biologically treated POME was conducted using ferrous sulfate monohydrate (FeSO<sub>4</sub>·H<sub>2</sub>O) as a coagulant. The influence of the FeSO<sub>4</sub>·H<sub>2</sub>O coagulation of POME was determined on the elimination of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solids (SS), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) with varying flocculation time (min), slow mixing speed (rpm), coagulant doses (g/L) and pH. The FeSO<sub>4</sub>·H<sub>2</sub>O coagulation–flocculation experimental conditions were designed following the central composite design (CCD) of experiments and optimized by employing response surface methodology (RSM) based on the optimal SS, COD, and BOD elimination from POME. The maximum BOD, SS, and COD elimination achieved were about 96%, 97%, and 98%, respectively, at the optimized experimental condition. The surface morphology and elemental composition analyses of raw FeSO<sub>4</sub>·H<sub>2</sub>O and sludge generated after coagulation revealed that the FeSO<sub>4</sub>·H<sub>2</sub>O effectively removed the colloidal and suspended particles from POME. The well-fitted kinetic model equation was the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation to describe the FeSO<sub>4</sub>·H<sub>2</sub>O coagulation–flocculation behavior. The thermodynamics properties analyses revealed that the FeSO<sub>4</sub>·H<sub>2</sub>O coagulation of POME was non-spontaneous and endothermic. The residual SS, COD, and BOD in treated POME were determined to be 28.27 ± 5 mg/L, 147 ± 3 mg/L, and 6.36 ± 0.5 mg/L, respectively, lower the recommended discharged limits as reported by the Department of Environment (DoE), Malaysia.