article · Journal of Energy Environmental & Chemical Engineering
Discharging untreated abattoir wastewater introduces high levels of organic matter, suspended solids, and nutrients into surrounding environments. Because standard treatment systems can be costly to maintain in developing regions, this research evaluated a low-cost adsorbent made from blended activated charcoal and calcium carbonate. Effluent collected from an abattoir in Auchi, Nigeria, was treated using mixture ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 2:1. Treatment efficiency varied with the mixture composition, with the 1:2 ratio providing the best overall results. This specific formulation removed 81 percent of biochemical oxygen demand, 83 percent of chemical oxygen demand, and 82 percent of total suspended solids, while reducing nitrate and phosphate by 72 percent and 68 percent respectively. Dissolved oxygen rose from 0.8 to 4.3 milligrams per litre, and effluent pH stabilised between 6.7 and 7.7, bringing the treated water close to standard discharge limits.
Untreated slaughterhouse wastewater threatens public health and downstream ecosystems by depleting oxygen and adding harmful nutrients to waterways. High equipment and maintenance costs frequently prevent smaller facilities in developing regions from running standard treatment plants. Demonstrating that simple blends of activated charcoal and calcium carbonate can reliably extract most contaminants provides a pathway toward affordable, accessible wastewater remediation.
This research represents applied, laboratory-tested work targeting wastewater management for abattoir operators and municipal sanitation managers in resource-constrained environments. The blended adsorbent offers a low-cost filtration medium that could be integrated into basic effluent treatment systems. While the study demonstrates technical viability on real slaughterhouse effluent, further work would be required to evaluate continuous-flow operations, regeneration of spent adsorbents, and manufacturing scale-up before commercial deployment.
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The discharge of untreated abattoir wastewater poses a significant environmental and public health challenge due to its high concentrations of organic matter, suspended solids, nutrients, and other pollutants. Conventional treatment methods are often expensive and difficult to sustain in developing countries, creating the need for affordable and environmentally friendly alternatives. This study investigated the effectiveness of blended activated charcoal and calcium carbonate (AC–CaCO 3 ) as a low-cost adsorbent for the treatment of abattoir effluent. Wastewater samples were collected from the Warake Road abattoir in Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria, and treated using AC–CaCO 3 blends prepared in ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1. The treatment performance was evaluated by analysing physicochemical parameters, including pH, temperature, total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrate, phosphate, and selected heavy metals. The results showed that the adsorption efficiency depended on the blending ratio, with the 1:2 (AC–CaCO 3 ) blend exhibiting the best overall performance. This blend achieved removal efficiencies of 81% for BOD, 83% for COD, 82% for TSS, 72% for nitrate, and 68% for phosphate. Furthermore, the pH of the treated effluent was stabilised within the range of 6.7–7.7, while dissolved oxygen increased significantly from 0.8 to 4.3 mg/L, indicating substantial improvement in water quality. The treated effluent approached the permissible limits specified by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) for wastewater discharge. The findings demonstrate that blended AC–CaCO 3 is an effective, economical, and environmentally sustainable adsorbent for the treatment of abattoir wastewater and offers a promising solution for improving wastewater management in resource-constrained settings.
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DOI: 10.11648/j.jeece.20261102.12
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