Waste Water Treatment Using Economically Viable Natural Adsorbent Materials

Households, food-processing industries and ponds and lakes all contribute towards waste which are usually untreated and have a unique putrescible property. These materials are low-cost lignocellulosic materials that have some prospective for reutilization. The present study provides a detailed physio-chemical characterization of commonly found waste materials such as banana (Musa) peel, banana blossom peel and most importantly Kariba Weed (Salvinia molesta) which is a type of weed found in stagnant water bodies in Kerala and thus the selection of this material also contributes towards the treatment possibilities of weed which is deemed as useless and at times contributes harmful effects when present in the ecosystem. The study includes the determination of various physico-chemical parameters such as pH , Turbidity, Electrical Conductivity, Total Solids and chemical parameters like Chloride, alkalinity, Acidity and Hardness at different conditions. In addition to all these parameters, the percentage removed is determined for a comparative study. Banana peel, Banana blossom peel and a Kariba weed are naturally occurring bio-waste materials which can offer a viable and cost effective solution for waste water treatment