Oil and grease (O&G) removal from commercial kitchen waste water using carbonised grass as a key media

Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia

^a Corresponding author: nazahiya@uthm.edu.my

Abstract

Oil and grease (O&G) are usually found in kitchen waste water. O&G are poorly soluble in water and can cause serious problems during the wastewater treatment. Adsorption is a fundamental process in the treatment of kitchen waste water and very economical. Activated carbon is the most effective adsorbent for this application. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to determine the potential of four materials (i.e. sand, gravel, carbonised grass (CG) and clay powder) as filter media for O&G removal. The CGs were originated from “Elephant Grass” and it is a fast growing plant with significant potential as carbon. The clay acts as a magnet, drawing the oil molecules out of the water and causing them to attach to the surfaces of the clay. In the current study, two filters were developed with different media materials to get the best percentage removal. Filters 1 and 2 were filled with sand, gravel and CG, and sand, gravel, CG and powder clay, respectively. Three samples were taken during peak hour between April and May 2016. The initial O&G concentration varied from 101.37 mg/l to 248.30 mg/l and the final concentration varied from none to 22.57 mg/l for both filters. The percentage removal (%) of O&G were between 90.9 and 97.3 (Filter 1) and between 94.3 and 100 (Filter 2). Overall, both filters could efficiently remove O&G in the waste water and the quality of the carbonised grass proved to be as good as carbon produced from other traditional sources.