EVALUATION OF ADSORPTION PROCESS USING AGRICULTURAL WASTE USING RSM IN REMOVAL OF ORGANIC POLLUTANTS FROM PRODUCED WATER

Wastewater contains a high concentration of organic pollutants which are toxic and not biodegradable. Specifically for this study, the wastewater that will be the main focus is produced water which is an industrial wastewater. Produced water is the by-product of the oil and gas extraction process. It generally has a high composition of organic pollutants especially COD, BOD and TSS. Over the years, many treatment methods have been tested for the treatment of produced water. However, some of these methods are not optimal as they are either too costly or not easily viable. With that being said, the adsorption method is proposed for this study to remove organic pollutants in produced water. The adsorption method has been proven to be a cheap, efficient and easily viable method compared to the other existing treatment technologies. The adsorbent that will be use for the adsorption process is bio-char made up of palm kernel shells which is a type of agricultural waste.