Evaluation of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Removal from Tannery Wastewater using Activated Carbon from Terminalia catappa Nutshells

In this present study, activated carbon was prepared from Terminalia catappa nutshell using two-step process with H 3 PO 4 as activating agent. The derived adsorbent was investigated for % reduction of BOD and COD in tannery wastewater at different contact times. The results of characterization showed the ranges of % yield, % burn off, bulk density (g/cm 3 ) and pH of activated carbons from nutshell to be 17.670.04 to 28.940.07, 71.060.02 to 82.330.05, 0.490.03 to 0.570.01 and 6.310.02 to 6.640.01 respectively, while ranges for conductivity (S/cm), % moisture content and % ash content are 0.680.03 to 1.510.01, 4.200.03 to 7.030.04 and 6.500.03 to 13.500.04 respectively. The adsorbent was interacted with tannery wastewater using batch adsorption experiments and the percentage BOD and COD determined. The results of the reduction efficiency (%) showed that 60.47 % of BOD and 84.21 % of COD reductions were attained at 120 minutes and 150 minutes of interaction times respectively. The adsorption kinetics followed pseudo second order kinetic. Hence, the activated carbons produced from Terminalia catappa nutshell can find application in various wastewater remediations.