Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 25 No 4 (2021): 605 - 621

 

 

 

 

 

HARDNESS REMOVAL OF GROUNDWATER THROUGH SAND, ZEOLITE AND RICE HUSK ACTIVATED CARBON

 

(Rawatan Air Bawah Tanah Menggunakan Pasir, Zeolit dan Karbon Reaktifdari Sekam Padi bagi Penyingkiran Keliatan Air)

 

Nor Izzah Abdul Aziz¹, Norzila Othman¹*, Wahid Ali Hamood Altowayti¹,  Zalilah Murni Yunus², Nurina Fitriani³, Mohd Fadhil Md Din⁴, Firhat Muhammad Fikri⁵

 

¹Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment

²Faculty of Science Technology & Human Development

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400, Batu Pahat Johor, Malaysia

³Faculty of Science and Technology,

Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Jawa Timur 60115, Indonesia

⁴Faculty of Engineering,

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia

⁵Bendang Afwa Enterprise Sdn Bhd

Bukit Tembaga, Kuala Nerang, Kedah, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding  authors:  norzila@uthm.edu.my

 

 

Received: 10 June 2021; Accepted: 16 July 2021; Published:  29 August 2021

 

 

Abstract

Recently the treatment for hard water was by using a technique that will give an impact on the environment and consumer. Sand, zeolite and rice husk-activated carbon can be used as a media for water hardness treatment by adsorption process. Performance of sand, zeolite and rice husk activated carbon (RHAC) for removal of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ in hard water was investigated by employing a batch experimental set-up. The study considered X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy analysis for the evaluation of the chemical composition of the media and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for the surface functional group. Experimental adsorption data were modelled by Langmuir, Freundlich and BET. The adsorption process followed the Langmuir isotherm model with high coefficients of correlation R² (0.9888) for Ca²⁺ and R² (0.9662) for Mg²⁺. The R_L value in this study was less than one for both Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺, indicating that the absorption of the metal ion onto all the media is favourable. The pseudo-second-order fitted well in correlation to the experiment results. The results indicate that sand, zeolite, and RHAC have chemisorption mechanisms and can be alternative media for hard water treatment using the adsorption process.  Furthermore, there will be an advantage in terms of economic and environment-friendly media.

 

Keywords:  adsorption, kinetic study, filter media, groundwater treatment, hard water, isotherm study

 

Abstrak

Rawatan keliatan air yang sedia ada  memberi kesan  kepada pengguna dan alam sekitar.  Pasir, zeolit dan karbon teraktif dari sekam padi boleh digunakan sebagai media bagi rawatan air liat.  Semua media ini akan bertindak sebagai penyerap. Eksperimen kaedah kelompok digunakan bagi menyiasat keberkesanan pasir, zeolit dan karbon teraktif dari sekam padi dalam menyerap dan merendahkan nilai bagi ion Ca²⁺ dan Mg²⁺ di dalam air bawah tanah. Analisis spektroskopi pendaflour sinar-X (XRF) ke atas komposisi bahan kimia dan spektroskopi infra merah transformasi Fourier (FTIR) pada setiap media turut dijalankan. Hasil dapatan daripada ekperimen kaedah kelompok, keputusannya disuaipadan dengan kaedah permodelan Langmuir, Freundlich and BET bagi mengenalpasti sifat kebolehserapan semua media.  Proses penjerapan adalah memenuhi kriteria permodelan Langmuir dengan nilai pekali R² (0.9888) untuk Ca²⁺, dan R² (0.9662) untuk Mg²⁺. Nilai bagi R_L bagi kajian ini adalah adalah kurang dari nilai satu, maka  menunjukkan semua media berfungsi sebagai agen penjerap bagi ion Ca²⁺ dan  Mg²⁺.  Kajian kinetik mekanisme penjerapan dikategorikan sebagai tertib pseudo-kedua, ini membuktikan media pasir, zeolit dan karbon teraktif dari sekam padi mempunyai mekanisme penjerapan secara tindakbalas kimia. Maka dengan itu kaedah penjerapan dengan menggunakan media ini dapat digunakan sebagai rawatan kepada keliatan air. Media pasir, zeolit dan  karbon teraktif  dari sekam padi mudah didapati adalah merupakan kelebihan untuk dipilih sebagai media rawatan bagi keliatan air.

 

Kata kunci:  penjerapan, kajian kinetik, media penapis, rawatan air bawah tanah, keliatan air, kajian isoterm

 

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