Application of Solar UV Radiation in the Photo-Fenton Process for Coffee Agroindustry Wastewater Treatment

Wastewater from coffee agro-industrial activities tends to be brown in colour and rich in organic matter, potentially causing environmental pollution. Biological treatment has not been fully effective in reducing its colour due to the presence of dark pigments. This study aims to development of utilizing ultraviolet light radiation from the sun and comparing its efficiency with ultraviolet light from lamps in purifying coffee processing wastewater. The research stages consisted of photoreactor preparation; preparation of Fenton reagent doses of H₂O₂ and Fe₂(SO₄)₃; ultraviolet radiation; and analysis of the pollution reduction parameters. The results show that the application of ultraviolet radiation from sunlight has a positive impact on the quality of coffee agroindustry wastewater. The recommended treatment combination of Fe₂(SO₄)₃ 0.0015M and H₂O₂ 0.2M is the best alternative for improving its quality which has reduction efficiency (RE) namely 96.27% (TSS), 97.68% (turbidity), 99.98% (colour absorbance), and 95.17% (COD) respectively. The ultraviolet from sunlight application in the photo-Fenton method is more effective and efficient than using light from artificial UV lamps. The results of this experiment offer an alternative tertiary treatment for coffee agroindustry or Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) wastewater that is effective, efficient, low-cost, and relatively easy to implement. Key words: Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs); coffee wastewater processing; photo-Fenton; solar UV.