Treatment of effluent from the coconut (Cocos nucifera) processing industry via dissolved air flotation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14295/bjs.v5i6.879Keywords:
flotation, coconut, effluent treatment, oil and grease, coagulation, factorial designAbstract
The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L) is one of the most widespread fruit species worldwide and plays a key role in Brazilian agribusiness, especially in the Northeast, which accounts for over 90% of national production. However, coconut processing generates large volumes of liquid effluents, composed of coconut milk, oil, and mainly washing water, which require proper treatment before disposal. Among the available techniques, dissolved air flotation (DAF) stands out for its efficiency and low operating cost in contaminant removal. This study focused on treating coconut industry effluents using DAF, applying a full 23 experimental design. The evaluated factors were effluent concentration (0.05% and 0.1%), feed flow rate (100 L/h and 150 L/h), and dilution flow rate (50 L/h and 100 L/h), with initial pH fixed at 10 and saturation pressure between 4.5 and 6 kgf/cm². Aluminum sulfate 1% m/v was used as the coagulant. Results showed that oil and grease reduction increased with higher effluent concentration and lower dilution flow rates, reaching up to 73.75% removal under conditions of 0.1% concentration, 150 L/h feed, and 50 L/h dilution.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Victor Cesar Pugliesi de Sousa, Amanda Santana Peiter, Tiago Marques da Silva, Tiago Lima Alves, José Harlisson de Araújo Ferro, Júlio Inácio Holanda Tavares Neto, Sandra Helena Vieira de Carvalho, João Inácio Soletti
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