The utility of cocoa pods husk M45 (Theobroma cocoa) as adsorbent of heavy metals, iron (Fe) and copper in the laboratory wastewater

Abstract

Adsorption is one of the alternative media for processing wastewater. The study aims to use cocoa pods husk M45 (Theobroma Cacao) as a biosorbent in reducing Fe (III) and Cu (II) ions content in the laboratory liquid waste. This research was carried out through two systems, batch and continuous systems. The batch system was conducted to determine optimum contact time, optimum pH, and adsorption capacity, whereas the continuous system was intended to determine the adsorbent height and the maximum flow rate of laboratory liquid waste. The methods used in this study were adsorption and filtration. The adsorption results were analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The results found that the optimum contact time and the optimum pH for the adsorption of metal ions by cocoa pods husk M45 were 90 minutes and 6, respectively. The optimum flow rate of the wastewater in the continuous system was 6.166 mL/sec with an adsorbent height of 15 cm in the 2-inch adsorption column. The adsorption capacity of adsorbent based on the Langmuir isotherm was 11.074 mg/g for Fe (III) and 28.4091 mg/g for Cu (II).