Sewage Sludge in Phenol and Methylene Blue Adsorption: A Miniproject for Teaching Sustainability

This report presents a miniproject for teaching sustainability through the production of adsorbents from sewage sludge. The activity was tested during the Physical Chemistry II portion of an Agro-Industrial Engineering Course and lasted 4 weeks. The activities developed by the students included preparing the adsorbents (in natura, carbon, and activated carbon), interpreting the results of adsorbent characterization, and testing the adsorption of phenol and methylene blue. During the miniproject, skills were developed in handling laboratory equipment (UV–vis spectrophotometer, shaker) and fixing basic concepts of chemistry (dilution theory), which are covered in limited depth in an engineering degree.