RANCANG BANGUN ALAT BIOSORPSI LOGAM BERAT PADA LABORATORIUM PENGOLAHAN LIMBAH

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution caused by industrial activities is a serious environmental issue due to its toxic, persistent, and bioaccumulative nature. One potential approach to address this problem is biosorption, which utilizes natural biomass as an adsorbent. This study aims to design and develop a simple, economical, and applicable laboratory-scale biosorption prototype for wastewater treatment, which can also serve as a learning medium. The prototype consists of a storage tank, peristaltic pump, filter column, biosorbent column, and product tank. The adsorbents used were cocoa pod husk and activated carbon. The concentration of Fe was determined using a UV-Vis Spectrophotometer, where the initial sample had an absorbance value of 0.758 A. Product A showed an absorbance of 0.656 A with a biosorbent height of 12 cm, Product B had 0.720 A at 27 cm, and Product C had 0.580 A at 31 cm. Performance testing indicated that increasing the proportion of biosorbent in the column led to higher removal efficiency of metal ions. The designed biosorption prototype proved effective in reducing Fe concentration in wastewater samples and has potential for use as an educational and research tool in chemical engineering and environmental treatment fields.