COAGULANT PREPARATION FROM GLUTARALDEHYDE-CROSSLINKED DURIAN SKIN CELLULOSE FOR TREATMENT OF WASTEWATER GENERATED BY SUGAR PALM STARCH INDUSTRIES

Abstract

Arenga pinnata starch (APS) production from APS industrial centers in Klaten, Indonesia, produces Arenga pinnata starch mill effluent (APSME). This waste will undoubtedly harm the environment, significantly reducing river water quality. On the other hand, in Gunungpati, Semarang, Indonesia, durian fruit is abundant, it leaves durian skin waste, which may cause environmental pollution. However, durian skin contains cellulose, which has the potential to be valorized for various applications. Therefore, this study evaluated the preparation of natural coagulant from durian skin cellulose crosslinked with glutaraldehyde for treating APSME from APS industrial centers in Klaten, Indonesia. Durian skin flour (DSF), durian skin cellulose (DSC), and glutaraldehyde-crosslinked durian skin cellulose (DSC-G) coagulants were characterized by proximate composition, UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of coagulant dose, pH, and mixing speed on removal efficiency and sludge volume in DSF, DSC, and DSC-G were compared with polyaluminum chloride (PAC). The study assessed the process efficiency in terms of percentage removals for chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD5), total dissolved solids (TDS), and total suspended solids (TSS) as 71.38%, 78.23%, 94.79%, and 96.12%, respectively, with a percentage sludge volume of 24%. The results indicated that the optimum DSC-G dosage was 2500 mg/L with an optimum working area of pH at 5.5 and a mixing speed of 90 rpm. DSC-G has a floc stability of-12.33 mV. This study indicated that DSC-G has the potential to be used as a coagulant for the treatment of APSME.