Author(s)

S. R. M. Kutty, E. H. Ezechi, S. G. Khaw, C. L. Lai & M. H. Isa

Abstract

The efficiency of copper removal from an aqueous solution was investigated in a continuous flow activated sludge system. Two identical biological reactors made of acrylic were used to carry out the research. Reactor one (R1) was used as control and contained only biomass. Reactor two (R2) contained biomass and microwave incinerated rice husk ash (MIRHA). Different concentrations of copper dosages in the range of 0.5 mg/L, 1 mg/L, 2 mg/L, 5 mg/L, 10 mg/L and 15 mg/L were used. Activated sludge was allowed an acclimatization time of 15 days in both reactors. Microwave incinerated rice husk ash (MIRHA) was then added to reactor two (R2) from day 16. It was allowed to acclimatize with the activated sludge until day 25. The reactors were subsequently fed with an aqueous solution containing copper of various doses from day 26 onwards. The results show that the effluents from both reactor one (R1) and reactor two (R2) have a minimum removal efficiency of about 86% for all the copper doses investigated. The maximum average copper removal efficiency for reactor one (R1) and reactor two (R2) is 93% and 97% respectively. Reactor two (R2) had higher copper removal efficiency for all the concentrations investigated. The mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) and mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS) of reactor two (R2) significantly increased from phase 2 to phase 6 whereas in reactor one (R1), mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) and mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS) stabilized from phase 2 to phase 4. This implies that using microwave incinerated rice husk ash (MIRHA) as an adsorbent in an activated sludge system can increase the reactor performance. Keywords: activated sludge, copper, microwave incinerated rice husk ash (MIRHA).

Keywords

activated sludge, copper, microwave incinerated rice husk ash(MIRHA).