Work

Green practices in wastewater treatment: Upcycling avocado waste for enhanced water sanitation. Case study: WWTP in San Francisco Pichátaro, Michoacán

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Potable water and sanitation are priorities since pollutants pose health risks in Mexican rural communities. In this study, the San Francisco Pichataro (Michoacán) WWTP effluent was subjected to a post-bioadsorption treatment. For this purpose, activated bioadsorbents from avocado waste were developed. Avocado waste represents ∼34 metric tons per day in the considered municipality. The WQI tool was used to assess the water quality for the WWTP influent, effluent, and the post-bioadsorption effluent (permeate). The application of the activated bioadsorbent increased the WQI from 30 to 70, removing about 1600 to 1900 mg L −1 of COD and ≈50% of hardness (Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ ), and enhancing the quality of the WWTP effluent. This improvement means the permeate flux could be used for crop irrigation or sanitation activities, improving water resource management.

Source: Results in Engineering

DOI: 10.1016/j.rineng.2024.103347