Investigation on adsorption performance of activated carbon prepared from municipal solid waste for the removal of pollutants from refinery wastewater

Disposal of municipal solid waste into open landfills is a real challenge, and it causes severe environmental and health issues. Utilization of municipal solid wastes for the production of activated carbon (AC) is a viable alternative to conventional techniques as it supports the concept of circular economy. The most commonly employed solid waste disposal methods are incineration followed by landfill, which has adverse effect on environment by releasing greenhouse gases and ash into environment. Therefore, this study is aimed to produce activated carbon from municipal solid waste (MSW) using pyrolysis process in the absence of oxygen by exposure to high temperature at 550 ℃ for 2 h followed by thermal activation at 600 ℃. The resulting activated carbon has been employed in the removal of pollutants from refinery wastewater by investigating the influence of effluent pH, agitation time, quantity of activated carbon and agitation speed on adsorption efficiency. The characterization techniques employed are Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy, X- Ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The treatment efficiency has been analyzed for total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, and dissolved oxygen and the optimum processing conditions are decided. The optimized processing parameters obtained are pH 6.0, 80 min stirring time, 75 RPM agitation speed with an activated carbon dosage of 2.0 g. The study suggests that municipal solid waste is a prospective raw material for activated carbon production and an effective adsorbent for the effective removal of different types of pollutants from refinery wastewater. The conversion of municipal solid waste into AC is an adaptable and economically viable source of carbon and protecting the environment and human health.