Local Biomass Converted into Activated Char for the Treatment of Well Water

Abstract

The taste and color define the quality of water in Kaolack. This water is compromised by the presence of impurities such as fluoride (1.69 mg/l) and other physicochemical parameters (low electrical conductivity, TDS, pH = 5.1, etc.), which can have negative effects on the health of residents and food safety. This work explores an innovative solution involving the use of two reservoirs (fired clay and plastic) of activated carbon produced from ditakh ( Detarium senegalense ), a local fruit with exceptional properties (calorific value of 19.13 MJ/kg for the raw shell and a calorific value of 28.22 MJ/kg obtained after pyrolysis of the shell), to improve water treatment. The main objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of this natural material (activated and non-activated char) in removing questionable contaminants from water. The results obtained show that activated char based on ditakh exhibits a slight increase in initial electrical conductivity and a shift in pH from acidic to alkaline. It is noted that ditakh shell char activated in a fired clay reservoir has a more effective adsorption capacity compared to other types of char (non-activated wood char, referred to as CNB, and non-activated ditakh shell char, also referred to as CNA, under the same conditions). The results also show that the best amount of char to treat this water, in a quantity of 200 g, is between 0.5 and 1 g.