PHENOL REMOVAL FROM WASTEWATER USING ARECANUT HUSK (ARECA CATECHU) AS ADSORBENT

In this present research, the possibility of Arecanut husk an agricultural waste as an adsorbent for removing phenol from wastewater was explored. The adsorbent was chemically treated with phosphoric acid with an impregnation ratio of 1:4. The treated adsorbent was showing the surface area of 678.78 m2 /g. The variation of experimental conditions like adsorbent dosage, concentration, pH, temperature and agitation speed were studied with response surface methodology (RSM). The equilibrium data were examined using various isotherm models and were found to follow Langmuir Isotherm. The kinetic data followed pseudo-second order kinetic model. The adsorption capacity was obtained as 25.746 mg/g showing that arecanut husk is a promising adsorbent.