Sugarcane bagasse based activated carbon preparation and its adsorption efficacy on removal of BOD and COD from textile effluents: RSM based modeling, optimization and kinetic aspects

Abstract This study focused on the removal of biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from textile waste effluents using activated carbon prepared from sugarcane bagasse (SBAC). Various techniques including XRD, SEM, BET and FTIR were done to characterize the SBAC. The three independent process variables, SBAC dose, pH and reaction time were selected to develop mathematical models for BOD and COD removal efficiency using response surface methodology (RSM). The predicted models were statistically optimized to maximize BOD and COD removal. The optimal values were predicted to be a SBAC dose of 0.915 g/L, pH of 3.225, and a reaction time of 98.91 min for maximized BOD and COD removal efficiencies of 0.0225 and 0.023 mg/L min−1, respectively. Using these optimal values, kinetics studies from the experimental data showed that the rate constants for BOD and COD removal were 0.028 and 0.0274 mg/L min−1, respectively.