Removal of Cr (VI) in textile dye industry effluent using foxtail palm fruit as activated carbon

Dyes are commonly used widely in many industries nowadays. The improper disposal of dyes could lead to negative effect to the water users and marine aquatic life. This is due to the properties of dyes which contain a lot of chemicals and heavy metals which can give harm to the environment and living organisms. One of the major industries that produce dye wastewater sources and contribute the negative effects to the environment is industry of textile. Industry of textile used a lot of chemicals which contain a lot of heavy metals such as chromium. As a consequence, the removal of heavy metals in dye wastewater by adsorption of activated carbon prepared from foxtail palm fruit was studied. The objectives of this study were to determine the chromium concentration contain in dye textile effluent, to study the influent pH on chromium removal and to study the effectiveness on adsorbent dosage and contact time towards the efficiency of prepared activated carbon. Activating agent that is nitric acid (HNO3) was used in this experiment were left for overnight to impregnate at temperature of 500 °C for two hours and 30 minutes of carbonization. The adsorption capability of foxtail palm fruit activated carbon was determined with the use of a heavy metal called chromium. The chromium adsorption was identified based on range of the selected parameters which are adsorbent dosage, contact time and pH in order to investigate their effects in adsorption potential of foxtail palm fruit powder. The effectively parameters for adsorption of foxtail palm fruit activated carbon were at 5 g of adsorbent dosage, at 120 minutes of the contact time and at an acidic pH which was pH 2 with highest removal of Cr (VI) was 84.4 %.