Evaluation of organic, inorganic, and hybrid adsorbents for COD reduction in petrochemical wastewater: A kinetic modeling approach

Subject Areas : Environmental issues related to water systems

Atefeh Barahimi ¹ , Mozhgan Ahmadi Nadoushan ² , Aliasghar Besalatpour ³ , Mitra Ataabadi ⁴

1 - Department of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Agriculture, Water, Food, and Nutraceuticals, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
2 - Department of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Agriculture, Water, Food, and Nutraceuticals, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
3 - Inter 3 GmbH - Institut für Ressourcenmanagement, Berlin, Germany.
4 - Department of Soil Sciences, Institute of Agriculture, Water, Food, and Nutraceuticals, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

Received: 2025-02-28 Accepted : 2025-05-24 Published : 2025-05-28

Keywords: Petrochemical wastewater, COD, Hybrid adsorbent, Adsorption kinetics, Elovich model,

Abstract :

Reducing the chemical oxygen demand (COD) in petrochemical wastewater due to the presence of toxic and biorefractory compounds represents a fundamental challenge in sustainable industrial wastewater treatment. This study evaluated the performance of three adsorbents - organic (pomegranate peel-derived activated carbon), mineral (nano-silica), and a hybrid composite - for COD removal using batch adsorption experiments at laboratory scale. Key operational parameters including adsorbent dosage (4 g/L), contact time (60 min), and neutral pH (7) were optimized. Results demonstrated that the hybrid adsorbent achieved superior COD removal efficiency (48%) under optimal conditions compared to individual adsorbents. Kinetic data showed the best fit with the pseudo-first-order model (R²=0.94), indicating a predominant physiochemical adsorption mechanism. The hybrid adsorbent's compliance with the Elovich isotherm model along with its significant removal efficiency suggests its promising potential as an effective treatment option for complex petrochemical wastewater.

 

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