Sustainable Utilization of Eggshell Waste as a Low-Cost Adsorbent of Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

Industrial sector is backbone for the development of country: however, its untreated effluents are damaging various ecological systems. Everyday huge amount of municipal industrial and agricultural waste is being released into the environment causing serious ecological problems. Pakistan is currently experiencing profound demographic, economic change and energy crisis that pose serious limitations on spending capital on water treatment. The industrials are looking for some low-cost material for efficient treatment. Present study aims to introduce eggshell powder as potential adsorbent for industrial wastewater treatment. The eggshell adsorbent was prepared by several steps that included boiling and drying of eggshells at 110℃. The study is designed to evaluate the potential of eggshells powder as low-cost absorbents against industrial pollutants. Two different eggshells powders were prepared i.e., one by drying at room temperature named as EG1 and the other with drying temperature of 100 ℃ named as EG2. Wastewater samples were collected from the mix drains of Hattar industrial estate according to standard sampling procedure. The parameters such as pH, temperature, color, turbidity was checked at the location. The adsorbents efficiency was studied via glass column. Different physiochemical parameters such as pH, Temperature, Total Solid (TS), Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), Dissolve Oxygen (DO), Total Suspended Solid (TSS), Color and Turbidity was successfully analyzed before and after treatments. Results indicate eggshell powder successfully changed the pH of wastewater for alkane toward neural then slightly acidic. The turbidity of sample changed from 72 NTU to 24 NTU. Similarly, COD was successfully controlled by eggshell powder. However, total dissolved solid was found to be increased after treatment of eggshell powder. They may be due to some ions that leached from columns. This problem was first time highlighted in the present report. With some modifications eggs shells could be applied for industrial wastewater treatment.