2.7 Treatment of Wastewater from Brewery
Wastewater sample collected from brewery effluent was used for this testing study. Effluent discharge from
brewery is coloured and intoxicating: it is characterised by pH, temperature and chemical oxygen demand (COD).
The objective is to effect treatment of the wastewater sample by the removal or reduction of the adverse
characteristics such COD, acidity or alkalinity using the produced activated carbon. Samples were collected at the
effluent from a brewery located within Lagos State and analysed using standard method for water and wastewater
analysis in the laboratory.
Batch adsorption equilibrium studies were carried out using produced activated carbon of known masses. Each
mass was placed in 250 ml Erlenmeyer flasks, each containing 100 ml of wastewater and lagoon water samples.
The flasks were agitated continuously for 1h by which equilibrium must have been achieved. Resultant colour
reduction and removal was observed. The resulting mixture was filtered and COD of the filtrate was determined.
The percentage COD and amount of colour removal achieved at varying dosages of carbon gave an indication of
the activated carbon usage rate required to treat a wastewater sample to a specific effluent quality, as well as the
type of solid-fluid phase equilibrium