International Journal of Modern Science and Technology

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Vol. 1, No. 5, Aug. 2016. Page 178-182.

ISSN: 2456-0235

Research Article

Synthesis of Activated Carbon using Orange and Lemon Peel for Wastewater
Treatment Application
Juhaina Jasim Mohamed Al-Farsi*, Dinesh Keloth*, Elansezhian Rasu
Caledonian College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering,
Seeb, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
*Corresponding authors e-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract
Wastewater from domestic and industries contain contaminants that are harmful for the environment as
well as our health. Therefore it should be treated before discharging it out. Activated carbons have the
highest degree micro-porosity volume. Activated carbons have the largest surface area. It is important to
produce activated carbon from the waste peel by using it in eco-friendly method to decrease the
pollution and increase economy. The applications of activated carbon are used to treat the wastewater,
drinking water and oil industry. Most of literatures produce activated carbon from different peels and
they use the same parameters like pH, contact time, temperature and adsorbent dosage. The results of
the activated carbon that produces from the peel can treat and remove the colors from wastewater.
Phosphoric acid H3PO4 standard solution is better than zinc chloride ZnCl2 solution for producing
activated carbon, but in this study the activated carbon will be taken from orange and lemon peels.
Effectiveness of activated carbon made from orange and lemon peel is compared in terms of total
suspended solid, total phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand, ammonia and nitrate parameters. The
designs of study divided into four main steps, first samples and adsorbent collection, second preparation
of adsorbent, third preparation of standard solution and the last one is batch adsorption study. The
parameters analyzed in the present study are chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solid, ammonia,
nitrate, total phosphorus and fecal Coliform. These parameters are compared between the activated
carbon prepared from orange and lemon peel. The experimental and filtration procedure is in college
laboratory, but the tests are in the Haya laboratory to check the parameter result. The experimental
studies revealed that the best results comparing with SP3 parameter is when doing filtration by using
orange peel activated carbon because the Fecal Coliform is <10 cfu/100 ml, total phosphorus is 3 mg/L.
With this result it can be confidently concluded that activated carbon from waste orange peels is better
than waste lemon peels activated carbon that can be used successfully wastewater treatment of SP3 of
Haya Water Company.
Keywords: Orange peels, Lemon peels, Filtration process, Wastewater treatment, Activated Carbon,
Phosphoric acid.
Introduction
Water is one of the most important basic
requirements on the earth. All plants, animals,
and humans are dependent on water to survive.
One of the most important uses of water is in
manufacturing area. For example, chemical
industry produces a large volume of wastewater
through the various processes. The industries
treat the wastewater before discharging it to the
environment to save the environment and make
it as sustainable. Wastewater treatment is a
process to remove the pollutants from the
wastewater. There are many different types of
wastewater treatment for example, distillation,
electro coagulation, dehumidification process

and adsorption process. There are many

environmental problems caused by human
contribution such as, excessive waste, industry
pollution and over population but nowadays,
water pollution is a major problem occurring all
over world. Natural materials available may be
used in the activated carbon adsorption process
as low cost adsorbents. In many operations
activated carbon made from rice husks, lemon
peels, orange peels, banana peels and other
organic materials have been used effectively [1].
Productions of activated carbon from
watermelon peel [2].
Adsorption of Pb, Fe, Cu, and Zn from
industrial electroplating wastewater can be done

Received: 17.07.2016; Received after Revision: 24.08.2016; Accepted: 24.08.2016; Published: 25.08.2016
International Journal of Modern Science and Technology. All rights reserved.

178

Al-Farsi et al., 2016.

Activated Carbon using Orange and Lemon Peel for Wastewater Treatment

by orange peel activated carbon [3]. Production

and characterization of activated carbon from
banana empty fruit bunch and delonix regia fruit
pod [4]. Removal of yellow 2G dye from
aqueous solution using activated carbon prepared
from mosambi and agricultural waste [5].
Activated carbon was produced from the palmoil shell by paralysis and steam activation in a
fixed bed reactor [6].
The activated carbon is created by two major
processes. The first process is physical activation
that converts the source material into activated
carbon by using hot gas and is carried out at 8001000C. The second process is chemical
activation using carbonaceous material after
doing pretreatment with dehydrating agent like
H3PO4, ZnCl2 and KOH at 400-600C.
These studies aim to treat wastewater by
using natural waste from orange and lemon peels
and discover a new and economical way to treat
the wastewater. The treatment of wastewater is
needed due to the absence of water resources all
over the world, and after treatment the
wastewater may be used again for different
purposes likes chemical processes in the
manufacturing works and irrigation of grasses in
parks. Activated carbon is used in water station,
waste water station, fuel storage, gas purification
and chemical purification as all of these use the
activated carbon to filter the impurity and color.
Materials and methods
The experimental procedure adopted,
relevant materials and equipment employed
during the investigation are reported. The major
steps in preprocessing are given below: Collect
the waste orange and lemon peels. Wash the
waste peels of orange and lemon, cutting and
drying for 2 days with sun and measure the
mass. Treat the peels with100 ml of H3PO4 with
2 L distilled water for one day. Wash the orange
and lemon peels with distilled water and check
the pH = 7 by using the pH device and pH paper.
Activate the peels in a furnace at 400oC for 2
hours. Wash the peels by distilled water, check
the pH=7 and dry the activated carbon of orange
peels in the sun for one day.
The peels are sieved to get particle size (300
m). Then divide the 6 L of wastewater SP3
supplied by the Haya company into two, 3 L of
waste water treated with activated carbon from
orange peel and the other 3 L for activated
carbon from lemon because I need a 2 L after

filtration for both lemon and orange peel

activated carbon to test the parameter such as
NH3, NO3, TSS, TP, COD and 100 ml separately
for Fecal Coliform testing [7]. Next, 0.5 g of
orange and lemon peel activated carbon with
particle size of 300 m are added into each 500
ml of the sample. Sample of waste water and
activated carbon are mixed around 30 minutes.
Treated water is filtered and put in the bottles
provided by the Haya Company. For Fecal
Coliform testing, I put the 100 ml bottles for
both samples in the fridge in order to prepare the
sample.

Fig. 1. Waste water sample

First, take the samples after filtration (Fig. 1)
to Haya laboratory. Start with Ammonia test
which use the Vapodest machine, this machine
need H2O, H3PO3, NaOH, empty sample and
empty receiver. We use H2O and NaOH to
increase the pH. In this machine if the sample is
clean, 100 ml of treated wastewater is required to
test and if not clean only 50 ml of the treated
waste water can be used. This machine work by
two processes i. Distillation and ii. Titration. The
first step is to put the sample in the batch and the
batch includes 2 blank, 1 control blank and 2
standards (Glycine and NH4H2PO4). The second
step the catalyst (Cu) is added in the sample in
order to increase the reaction rate. In the third
step sulfuric acid is added in order to break the
organic material. In the fourth step the sample is
put in digester around 2 hours, then heating at
400oC around 30 minutes and finally cooling for
30 minutes at room temperature. In the last step
put sample in a Vapodest machine to measure
nitrogen in ammonia. The result is shown in
Vapodest manager program.
Then test the chemical oxygen demand in
COD spectrophotometer. Take the two samples
of activated carbon and take 2 ml each in COD

International Journal of Modern Science and Technology. All rights reserved.

179

Activated Carbon using Orange and Lemon Peel for Wastewater Treatment
o

vials and kept around 2 hours at 150 C. Then

cooled around 15 minutes and take the reading
by spectrophotometer for both samples. After
that do the total phosphorus test. Take the two
samples after filtration and use 2 ml in TP vials
for each sample and kept for one hour at 100C.
Then the samples are cooled at room temperature
around 15 min and then take the reading by
spectrophotometer for both samples.
Pall Corporation device is used for TSS test.
First place the filter funnel on the membrane
flitted hold. Then insert the filter paper inside the
filter funnel. Clean the filter paper in order to
remove all dirt present on it. Weight of the dried
filter paper with dirt is measured in analytical
balance. Insert the filter paper back to the funnel.
Then take 1000 ml of sample and make sure that
sample is clear. The sample is put on filter paper
which is inside the funnel. Remove the filter
paper from the funnel and heat it in furnace at
103-105C for 1 hr.
Remove the filter paper from furnace and
cooled in desiccators for 30 minutes. Finally,
measure it in an analytical balance. Nitrate test is
done by using Ionic Chromatography device for
anion (-) and cation (+). Take 50 ml of the
sample for each treated sample, then put it in
column inside the machine.
The fecal coliform test takes the 100 ml of
each sample and put it in fridge for 30 minutes
before starting the test. Fecal coliform test is
divided into two parts i. Take 10 ml of sample,
then filter it by membrane filter, then put it in an
incubator at 44.5C for 24 hr, then put it in a
microscope to see how many of the colonies are
present and after that calculate fecal coliform by
using the equation. ii. Take 1ml of sample and
put it in an incubator at 44.5C for 24 hr, then
measure the colonies by microscope. Perform
this test for each sample.

content when compared to that of lemon peel

(Fig. 3). But both of these activated carbon
treated waste water has COD content less than
that of SP3 water of Haya Company.

NH3 (mg/l)

Al-Farsi et al., 2016.

28.29

29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22

27.34

24.15

SP3

Lemon

Orange

Sample name

Fig. 2. Result obtained for NH3 for SP3, Orange

and Lemon

Fig. 3. Result obtained for COD for SP3, Orange

and Lemon
Total Phosphorus
The result clearly indicates that the waste water
treated with orange peel has the least TP content
when compared to that of lemon peel (Fig. 3). But
both of these activated carbon treated waste water has
TP content less than that of SP3 water of Haya
Company.
4

Result and discussion

3.69

3.52
3

The result clearly indicates that the waste

water treated with lemon peel has the least
ammonia content when compared to that of
orange peel (Fig. 2). But both of these activated
carbon treated waste water has ammonia content
less than that of SP3 water of Haya Company.
Chemical Oxygen Demand test
The result clearly indicates that the waste
water treated with orange peel has the least COD

TP (mg/l)

Ammonia test
2
1
0
SP3

Lemon

Orange

Sample name

Fig. 3. Result obtained for TP for SP3, Orange and

Lemon

International Journal of Modern Science and Technology. All rights reserved.

180

Al-Farsi et al., 2016.

Activated Carbon using Orange and Lemon Peel for Wastewater Treatment

Total suspended solid tests

The result clearly indicates that the waste
water treated with lemon peel has the least TSS
content when compared to that of orange peel
(Fig. 4). But both of these activated carbon
treated waste water has TSS content less than
that of SP3 water of Haya Company.

Fig. 6. Result obtained for Feacal Coliform for

SP3, Orange and Lemon
Conclusion

Fig. 4. Result obtained for TSS for SP3, Orange

and Lemon
Nitrate test
The result clearly indicates that the waste
water treated with orangae peel has the least
nitrate content when compared to that of lemon
peel (Fig. 5). But both of these activated carbon
treated waste water has nitrate content less than
that of SP3 water of Haya Company.

Fig. 5. Result obtained for NO3 for SP3, Orange

and Lemon
Fecal Coliform test
The result clearly indicates that the waste
water treated with orange peel has the least Fecal
coliform content when compared to that of
lemon peel (Fig. 6). But both of these activated
carbon treated waste water has fecal coliform
content less than that of SP3 water of Haya
Company.

Alternative and inexpensive material has

been investigated to treat wastewater SP3.
Orange and lemon peels are natural substances
and they are an organic waste, which can be
changed into activated carbon and it may be
useful for industries in the future, because the
water treatment operation considered as an
expensive method. The benefit of the project will
help the industry to produce activated carbon
from peels by using eco-friendly method so that
the method will decrease the pollution and
increase the economy. The successful removal of
impurities of wastewater SP3 was achieved by
doing filtration with orange peel activated
carbon, the COD value was 32.8 mg/l, TP is 3
mg/l and fecal coliform was <10 CFC/100 ml
which are important parameters to be reduced for
waste water treatment. With this result it can be
confidently concluded that activated carbon from
waste orange peels is better than waste lemon
peels activated carbon and can be used
successfully for treatment of wastewater SP3.
The SP3 wastewater is the wastewater before
adding chlorination and the primary role of
adding chlorination is to diminish the value of
fecal coliform. The waste orange peel activated
carbon already decreased the fecal coliform
value. Hence only less amount of chlorination is
required than before because the orange
activated carbon already decreased it and this
result will decrease the cost of chlorination.
Conflict of Interest
Authors declare there are no conflicts of interest.
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Interview 25 April 2016.

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