Domestic Wastewater Treatment Using Areca Husk

Numerous domestic and municipal wastewater treatment systems have been developed to improve effluent water quality, but most of them require consideration of economic aspects. This study was carried out to investigate the applications of Areca husk filtration as an efficient method to economically remove BOD, COD, chlorides, sulphates and nitrates by the principle of trickling filter. Biofiltration was carried out to study the performance and treatment efficiency of Areca husk as filter media in treating domestic wastewater at different contact periods (48, 72 and 96 h). Due to higher specific surface area, fibrous materials are often considered as a better choice for increased microbial support and treatment efficiency. When Areca husk was used as a filter bed, considerable reduction in BOD, COD and nutrients such as chlorides, sulphates and nitrates were observed. BOD was reduced by 53.9% and COD by 55.7% after four days treatment, respectively. The pH was found to be almost constant throughout the contact period of 96 h. The treated wastewater can be used for various domestic purposes like cleaning, washing and gardening and the spent fibres will have a high fertilizer value and can be used for agricultural purpose.