POTENTIAL OF BIOMASS AS COAGULANT AID IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT

The use of coagulant aid prepared from biomass has been studied as an
alternative substitute for bentonite and kaolin clay for the removal of dyes from
wastewater. The coagulation process for the removal ofthe azoic dye, Eriochrome Black
T (EBT) from wastewater was investigated using low-cost, natural and eco-friendly
coagulant aid, biomass as an ideal alternative to the conventional coagulant aids.
Coagulant aid prepared from biomass is applied to remove the Eriochrome Black T
(EBT) from the wastewater in the textile industry. This study investigates the potential
use of biomass which is palm oil fiber for the removal of Eriochrome Black T (EBT)
from simulated wastewater. The coagulation studies are carried out to study the effects
of initial pH and coagulant aid (biomass) dosage while applying ferric (III) sulfate as the
coagulant. Due to that, the coagulation parameters are obtained based on the series of
jar-test experiment. Afterwards, the supernatant liquid will be evaluated in terms of final
pH, color removal, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and amount of sludge
produced.