MIIX Virtua

The utilization of agricultural waste, such as from the watermelon peels, presents an intriguing alternative due to its potential for conversion into activated carbon. Hence, this study used watermelon peels to produce activated carbon (AC) to treat river water. The watermelon peels were washed and dried for 24 hours at 60 oC. Then, the watermelon peels were carbonized at 300 oC for 60 minutes and chemically activated in 1.0 M of H2SO4 for 24 hours. The ash, moisture, volatile carbon, and fixed carbon content were examined to evaluate the quality of AC. Besides, the surface morphology was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at x500 magnification. The effectiveness of the material in treating Muar River water samples was measured by measuring biochemical oxygen test (BOD), turbidity, and pH with various activated carbon masses (0.5 g, 1.0 g, 1.5 g, 2.0 g, and 2.5 g). Results demonstrated an increase in the amount of AC, giving an increase in reduction of BOD (24.79-0.54 mg/L), turbidity (0.70-0.00 NTU), and pH (6.5-7.5 pH) of the treated Muar River water. In addition, SEM image appeared spongy, indicating the development of pores, thus increasing the adsorption capacity. Therefore, this study established the feasibility of employing watermelon peels as a cost-effective and efficient raw material to produce AC for the treatment of river water.