Shrimp shell waste – a sustainable green solution in industrial effluent treatment

摘要

In this study, the capacity of wasted natural material Fenneropenaeus indicus (Shrimp) shell, as a coagulant, was appraised in the treatment of simulated paint factory effluent (SPFE) by colour and turbidity. The study was conducted by varying different operational parameters. The proposed case to treat a litre of SPFE was 400 mL of eluate made from 4% (wt/vol) of shrimp shell powder (SSP) and 3 N NaCl, at its own initial pH (8.4-8.6). The outcome was 93.67% (colour) and 81.77% (turbidity). The optimized conditions were applied on real paint factory effluent. The evaluated sludge volume (SV1) and sludge volume index were boosted and the hindered settling velocity (V-HS) was in declined trend with the upgrade in initial concentration of effluents, in the settling studies. The final volume of sludge was ranged between 190 and 260 mL/L and its dry weight was between 32.7 and 38.1 g/L, respectively. The presence of chitosan, an active component, responsible for coagulation was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results were contrasted with chemical coagulant chitosan and it confessed that, being a biodegradable and universally abundant, the SSP has a capacity to become a sustainable green alternate for chemical coagulants in the paint factory effluent treatment.