Preparation of activated biochar from durian shells for the extraction of phytohormones from waste coconut water via adsorption

Abstract The demand for activated carbon increases due to its effectiveness in wastewater treatment and other soil applications. However, its growing demand in the market resulted to higher price, thus, this study aimed to develop a cheaper alternative. The use of agricultural waste for biochar production has been the focus of several studies nowadays. Aside from the cheaper cost of the feedstock and the process, the problem on waste generation in the country will be lessened. In this study, activated biochar derived from Durian ( Durio zibethinus ) shells was prepared as adsorbent for the extraction of phytohormones from waste coconut water. Phytohormones or plant hormones are all-natural substitute to synthetic plant growth regulators (PGRs) used for different tissue culture practices in the country. Chemical activation conditions (alkali-to-raw biochar ratio and holding time) were determined to maximize phytohormone adsorption efficiency of the activated biochar. The activation of the durian shell-derived biochar was done using potassium hydroxide as chemical activating agent. Factors such as KOH-biochar ratio (high level: 5:1 (w/w), low level: 1:1 (w/w) ) and carbonization holding time (high level: 90 mins, low level: 45 mins) were applied to test its significance on the activation of durian shell biochar with percent phytohormones removal from waste coconut water as a response. The parametric study showed that KOH-biochar ratio as a main effect was significant and its interaction with holding time was also significant. This result will be used in the ongoing study to produce optimized activated biochar and will be used for batch and column adsorption. The prepared durian shell activated biochar will then be used for the extraction of phytohormones from waste coconut water via adsorption.