Guwahati: In a significant breakthrough for sustainable wastewater treatment, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G) have developed a cost-effective method to eliminate toxic pollutants from industrial wastewater using biochar derived from fruit waste.
Led by Dr. Gopal Das, professor in the Department of Chemistry, the team has demonstrated that biochar produced from pineapple crowns and mosambi (sweet lime) fibers can efficiently absorb nitroaromatic compounds, a class of hazardous chemicals prevalent in wastewater from industries such as dyes, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and cosmetics.
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The findings, published in the prestigious journal Chemical Engineering Science, highlight the potential of this innovative approach to combat water pollution.
Nitroaromatic compounds pose a severe threat to human health and ecosystems, persisting in the environment and leading to toxicity, cancer, and genetic mutations.
Traditional wastewater treatment methods often involve expensive catalysts and complex equipment, sometimes generating harmful by-products.
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In contrast, the IIT Guwahati team utilized a sustainable process called pyrolysis, converting fruit waste into biochar, a carbon-rich material, by heating it in the absence of oxygen.
The resulting biochars, named ACBC (Ananas Comosus Biochar) from pineapple crowns and MFBC (Citrus Limetta Biochar) from mosambi fibers, exhibited remarkable efficiency in removing 4-nitrophenol, a common nitroaromatic pollutant.
“ACBC achieved a 99% removal efficiency, while MFBC removed nearly 97% of the contaminant,” explained Dr. Das. “Moreover, the biochars reached equilibrium within just five minutes, demonstrating a significantly faster adsorption rate compared to conventional methods.”
This rapid uptake not only enhances efficiency but also makes the process more practical for large-scale applications. Additionally, the biochars can be reused multiple times without losing effectiveness, making the approach both sustainable and economically viable.
“This work demonstrates how waste materials can be transformed into valuable resources for environmental protection,” said Dr. Das. “By using fruit waste to tackle industrial pollution, we are not only addressing water contamination but also promoting a circular economy approach to waste management.”
The applications of this technology extend beyond industrial wastewater treatment. Biochar-based filtration systems could be used for water purification in rural communities and environmental remediation efforts.
The research team, including Dr. Deepmoni Deka and Neha Gautam, plans to conduct lab-scale testing, field trials, and market validation before pursuing full-scale commercial production.
They are actively seeking collaborations with stakeholders to bring this promising technology to market.