Setyawan, Sang Aji Arif and Dr.Eng.Akhmad Adi Sulianto, STP.,MT.,M.Eng and Associate Prof. Tomoo Sekito, P.hD (2024) Evaluating The Efficacy of Alkali Activated Coal Ash Adsorbents for Ammonium Adsorption and Environmental Safety. Magister thesis, Universitas Brawijaya.
Abstract
This study explores the potential of utilizing coal fly ash (CFA) and coal bottom ash (CBA) as adsorbents for ammonium removal from water, addressing pressing environmental challenges in Indonesia. The country faces significant coal ash disposal issues, with over 10 million tons of coal ash generated annually. Disposal is becoming increasingly problematic due to limited landfill space and the hazardous nature of coal ash, which contains heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, and mercury. These toxic components can leach into groundwater, posing serious environmental and health risks. Meanwhile, the presence of ammonium in water bodies, resulting from agricultural runoff and industrial wastewater discharge, contributes to eutrophication and degrades water quality. Given these challenges, there is an urgent need for effective, sustainable methods to manage coal ash and mitigate ammonium pollution in Indonesia's water bodies. This research seeks to identify the optimal conditions for alkali activation of coal ash using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and to evaluate its efficacy as an adsorbent for ammonium. Alkali activation is a chemical treatment process that enhances the surface area and porosity of coal ash, making it more effective in adsorbing contaminants from water. By converting coal ash into a value-added material, this approach not only addresses the disposal problem but also provides a cost-effective solution for water treatment. The study involved conducting batch adsorption experiments with CFA and CBA that had been activated with varying concentrations of NaOH (5M, 10M, and 12M). The experiments were designed to assess the adsorption capacity and kinetics of the activated coal ash for ammonium removal. Key parameters, including contact time, adsorbent dosage, and initial ammonium concentration, were systematically varied to determine the most effective conditions for ammonium removal. Additionally, the potential leaching of heavy metals from the activated ash was analyzed to evaluate the environmental risks associated with its use. The results indicated that alkali activation significantly enhances the adsorption capacity of coal ash. The highest ammonium removal efficiency was observed with coal ash activated at 12M NaOH, achieving up to 80% removal within the first 60 minutes of contact time. The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model, indicating that chemisorption plays a dominant role in the adsorption process. The adsorption isotherms aligned with the Langmuir model, suggesting monolayer adsorption on a homogenous surface. The maximum adsorption capacity was determined to be 32.5 mg/g for CFA and 28.7 mg/g for CBA, demonstrating the potential of activated coal ash as a viable adsorbent for ammonium. this research contributes to the sustainable management of coal ash by demonstrating its potential as an adsorbent for ammonium removal from water
English Abstract
This study explores the potential of utilizing coal fly ash (CFA) and coal bottom ash (CBA) as adsorbents for ammonium removal from water, addressing pressing environmental challenges in Indonesia. The country faces significant coal ash disposal issues, with over 10 million tons of coal ash generated annually. Disposal is becoming increasingly problematic due to limited landfill space and the hazardous nature of coal ash, which contains heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, and mercury. These toxic components can leach into groundwater, posing serious environmental and health risks. Meanwhile, the presence of ammonium in water bodies, resulting from agricultural runoff and industrial wastewater discharge, contributes to eutrophication and degrades water quality. Given these challenges, there is an urgent need for effective, sustainable methods to manage coal ash and mitigate ammonium pollution in Indonesia's water bodies. This research seeks to identify the optimal conditions for alkali activation of coal ash using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and to evaluate its efficacy as an adsorbent for ammonium. Alkali activation is a chemical treatment process that enhances the surface area and porosity of coal ash, making it more effective in adsorbing contaminants from water. By converting coal ash into a value-added material, this approach not only addresses the disposal problem but also provides a cost-effective solution for water treatment. The study involved conducting batch adsorption experiments with CFA and CBA that had been activated with varying concentrations of NaOH (5M, 10M, and 12M). The experiments were designed to assess the adsorption capacity and kinetics of the activated coal ash for ammonium removal. Key parameters, including contact time, adsorbent dosage, and initial ammonium concentration, were systematically varied to determine the most effective conditions for ammonium removal. Additionally, the potential leaching of heavy metals from the activated ash was analyzed to evaluate the environmental risks associated with its use. The results indicated that alkali activation significantly enhances the adsorption capacity of coal ash. The highest ammonium removal efficiency was observed with coal ash activated at 12M NaOH, achieving up to 80% removal within the first 60 minutes of contact time. The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model, indicating that chemisorption plays a dominant role in the adsorption process. The adsorption isotherms aligned with the Langmuir model, suggesting monolayer adsorption on a homogenous surface. The maximum adsorption capacity was determined to be 32.5 mg/g for CFA and 28.7 mg/g for CBA, demonstrating the potential of activated coal ash as a viable adsorbent for ammonium. this research contributes to the sustainable management of coal ash by demonstrating its potential as an adsorbent for ammonium removal from water
| Item Type: | Thesis (Magister) |
|---|---|
| Identification Number: | 0424100016 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Coal Ash, Ammonia, Adsorption, Alkali Activation, Adsorption Capacity. |
| Divisions: | S2/S3 > Magister Keteknikan Pertanian, Fakultas Teknologi Pertanian |
| Depositing User: | Sugeng Moelyono |
| Date Deposited: | 20 Feb 2025 04:45 |
| Last Modified: | 20 Feb 2025 04:45 |
| URI: | http://repository.ub.ac.id/id/eprint/237237 |
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