Experimental studies on tannery wastewater using cactus powder as an adsorbent

The ground water has been largely polluted due to the growth of tannery industries in India. The present study aimed at studying the effect of tannery effluent which contained chromium and other pollutants beyond non permissible limits by using cactus powder as an adsorbent. This paper deals with the removal of chromium and other major pollutants like COD, iron, BOD, TSS, TS, hardness, chloride, ammonia, nitrate, sulphide and sulphate from the tannery wastewater. From the experimental results, it was found that chromium concentration in wastewater was reduced to the level of 0.87 mg/l, COD was removed up to 70%, sulphate removal was found to be at the level of 90%, BOD was reduced to the level of 70% and iron reduction was at the level of 98% and other pollutants were reduced upto the level of acceptance. Thus it has been proved that the cactus powder can be used as an adsorbent for the treatment of tannery wastewater.