Design and construction of laboratory-scale activated carbon, gravel and rice husk filter columns for the treatment of stormwater runoff from automobile workshops

Abstract

The design and construction of low-cost laboratory-scale filter columns using locally available Nigerian filter materials – granular activated carbon (GAC), gravel (GR) and rice husk (RH) – were carried out and reported. The filter materials and columns were designed, constructed and used for the treatment of stormwater runoff from selected automobile workshops in Nigeria over a period of three rainy months. The combined granular activated carbon and rice husk filter systems performed best with pollutant removal efficiency of 58%. It was shown that the materials, considered as waste, could be recycled and used as filter materials in the treatment of stormwater from automobile workshops. This low-cost technology for stormwater runoff treatment, especially for automobile workshops at large scale and in-situ, can be further explored.