Exploring the Use of Pineapple Peel Biosorbent in the Treatment of Namilyango Lagoon Effluent

Abstract

Established to provide a treatment option for the black and grey water produced by Namilyango College and neighbouring primary schools and church, the moderately scaled wastewater stabilization pond is located beyond the southern fence bordering the playgrounds. Namilyango College is located in the village of Namilyango Mukono, about 3 km roughly to the south of Seeta. The system uses both anaerobic and aerobic treatment mechanisms but upon carrying out of preliminary tests on the effluent from the pond it was found to contain pollutants above the required discharge standards in comparison to NEMA standards. The effectiveness of pineapple peel biosorbent in treating wastewater effluent is examined in this paper. The findings contribute to the advancement of environmentally friendly wastewater treatment technologies and promote the use of agricultural waste for mitigating environmental pollution. The experimental results show the significant potential of pineapple peel biosorbent in removing pollutants such as Biological Oxygen Demand, Total Suspended Solids, Turbidity, and nutrients from wastewater effluent. The study found that pineapple peel biosorbent can effectively reduce the BOD and TSS of the waste water effluent to less than 50 mg/l which is the NEMA recommended limit for waste water effluent on land. The TSS and turbidity were also seen to reduce compared to the initial effluent values. Overall, this report provides valuable insights into the utilization of pineapple peel biosorbent as a sustainable and efficient solution for treating wastewater effluent.