Water Science and Technology (Apr 2021)
Treatment of wastewater from a dairy plant by adsorption using synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles: kinetics and isotherms modeling optimization
Abstract
Dairy plants produce 1 to 4 L of wastewater per 1 L of processed milk. The wastewater contains high values of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) concentrations, in addition to high levels of dissolved solids. In this study, synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) coupled with Sophora Japonica fruit, were used as an adsorbent, for the first time, to treat the effluent of dairy plants in a batch adsorption process. The analysis techniques, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were utilized to characterize the adsorbent. The COD removal, using (CuONPs)-based adsorbent, was investigated by varying contact time, masses of the adsorbent, initial COD value and temperatures. The optimum conditions for highest removal percentage were contact time of 120 min, a temperature of 25 °C, pH value of 7.5, and 1 g of adsorbent. The initial COD values used were in the range of 100–700 ppm. The COD percent removal was in the range of 77 to 95%. Freundlich isotherm exhibited the best fitting for the results (R2 = 0.998) with a favorable spontaneous exothermic adsorption process. Based on the calculated normalized deviation value, the modified diffusion model, intra-diffusion, and pseudo-second-order kinetics all showed very good fitting for the adsorption data as indicated by the kinetics study. HIGHLIGHTS A novel synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) is made.; CuONPs are firstly tested for the treatment of wastewater from a dairy plant.; CuONPs provided high removal ability for COD at the optimized parameters.; The adsorption is best described by the Freundlich and modified intra-diffusion models.; The adsorptions process was favorable and spontaneous with an electrostatic adsorption of COD onto CuONPs.;
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