Exploring the potential of biofunctionalized agricultural waste adsorbents integrated with UV-LED disinfection for enhanced wastewater treatment

Abstract

Agricultural waste holds promise as an adsorbent in wastewater treatment; however, its potential remains understudied, particularly regarding biofunctionalized grape pomace, coffee husks, and corn cobs for carwash wastewater treatment, along with their integration with solar-powered UV-LED disinfection. This study explores the effectiveness of these bio-functionalized adsorbents in wastewater treatment, revealing grape pomace’s high efficacy in removing lead (95.2%), fluorides (94.4%), and nitrates (94.8%), while corn cobs and coffee husks showed significant removal efficiencies for zinc (88.5% and 95.5%, respectively) and cyanides (84.8% and 89.6%, respectively). Grape pomace exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of 162.6 mg/g for lead ions, while coffee husks had the highest qmax of 182.82 mg/g. Kinetic analysis indicated corn cobs’ slower initial adsorption capacity and moderate adsorption rate, contrasting with grape pomace and coffee husks. Furthermore, treatment with these adsorbents, followed by UV-LED disinfection, substantially reduced microbial counts in treated water, underscoring their potential in ensuring water safety. The integration of biofunctionalized adsorbents with UV-LED disinfection presents a promising approach for sustainable and efficient wastewater treatment, with implications for water quality improvement and public health protection.