Efficient Removal of Turbidity, COD, and Colour from Sugar Industry Wastewater Using a Novel Graphene Derived from Pressmud Waste: Optimization Study

Wastewater from the sugar industry poses significant environmental challenges due to high turbidity, COD, and color levels, often exceeding permissible limits and impacting aquatic ecosystems and public health. Pressmud, a sugar industry by-product typically discarded, can be converted into graphene for effective wastewater treatment. Therefore, in this study, wastewater from sugar industry was treated using graphene, synthesized from pressmud through carbonization at 600°C and activation with potassium hydroxide at 120°C for 24 hours. The adsorption process was optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Central Composite Design (CCD) to analyze the interactions between graphene dosage (0-1g) and pH (5-10). The results demonstrated substantial reductions in turbidity (up to 96.45%), COD (up to 92.51%), and color (up to 98.71%), with R² values confirming high predictive reliability. Optimal adsorption conditions were achieved at a graphene dosage of 0.5 g and a pH of 7.5. The findings underscore the potential of converting pressmud into high-value graphene for cost-effective and environmentally sustainable industrial wastewater treatment applications.