Abstract:
Phenol (C6H5OH) and iron (Fe2+) contained in electroplating industrial wastewater
are toxic even at small concentrations. One of the effective methods to remove these compounds is
adsorption because the method is easy and simple. Activated carbon and zeolite are types of
adsorbents that are often used in wastewater treatment. In this study, modification of zeolite (Z) and
activated carbon (AC) with chitosan (Ch) were carried out to adsorb waste containing phenol and Fe2+
.
Modified AC-Ch and Z-Ch composites were characterized by FTIR and BET. The variations used were
pH (7 and 9) and the adsorbent composition to study its effect on the adsorption of phenol in the
presence of Fe2+. Adsorption was carried out in a bed with circulating waste for 2 hours. Feed at pH
9 with adsorbent mixed of zeolite-chitosan composite (Z-Ch) and activated carbon-chitosan composite
(AC-Ch) in a ratio of 1:1 gave the optimal results. Under these conditions, 94% and 97% of phenol
and Fe2+ were adsorbed, respectively.
