Biosorbent-assisted ceramic microfiltration process for treatment of herbal pharmaceutical wastewater with high organic loading

The feasibility of treating herbal pharmaceutical wastewater with high Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) values was studied using ceramic microfiltration membrane in combination with an adsorptive treatment. Batch kinetic and isotherm studies were carried out under varying dosages of a biosorbent prepared from the roots of Eichhornia crassipes (ECR). Adsorption kinetic models, based on the assumption of the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models, were applied to examine the kinetics of the adsorption. Microfiltration study was carried out using uncoated porous ceramic membrane prepared from a mixture of a-alumina and clay in tubular multi-channel configuration. The efficiency of the separation process was evaluated in terms of turbidity, TSS, colour and COD and permeate flux rates were compared for different adsorbent loadings in the effluent. An effective removal of turbidity (> 99%) and TSS (98-99%) was observed after 2 hours of microfiltration with colour removal of 87% and COD reduction of 88%.