Virtual Booth

Globally, around 80% of municipal (domestic and commercial) as well as industrial wastewater are discharged into the environment without undergoing any preliminary treatment. This increases the global concern of water pollution, as it does not only cause adverse effects on the ecosystems and affecting human health, but also affect water demand for agriculture. One potential solution to remediate wastewater is the utilization of waste-derived activated carbon. In this project, a composite composed of activated carbon derived from coconut shell wastes was prepared with the addition of chitosan (Chito-AC 2.0) to further enhance its absorption efficiency. Activation of the coconut shell carbon was conducted through reaction with lemon juice, followed by composite production through addition of chitosan. The efficiency of Chito-AC 2.0 composite in water treatment was then assessed through methylene blue absorption. Then, its potential in agriculture was tested in a glasshouse experiment, were red spinach plants were grown with and without addition of Chito-AC 2.0 into the soil. Data analysis showed that the Chito-AC 2.0 composite resulted in reduction of methylene blue concentration from 10 ppm to 2.39 ppm after 10 minutes. Meanwhile, red spinach plants grown with Chito-AC 2.0 were significantly bigger than those grown without it, indicating that Chito-AC 2.0 increased water and nutrient retention allowing for improved plant growth. At this juncture, it can be concluded that Chito-AC 2.0 serves dual functional solution; (1) function as a sustainable and safe solution for water treatment, and (2) help improved water and nutrient retention for sustainable agriculture.