Adsorption and utilization of available nutrient from river water using cocnut coir- charcoal briquettes

Date

2003

Abstract

Agricultural practices like the application of fertilizers release excess nutrients which find their way into ponds, streams, rivers and large bodies of water. On the other hand by products from industrial processes pose environmental problem of disposal. This study was done to recycle excess nutrients by adsorption on agricultural by-products. Coconut coir dust (CCD) and Charcoal dust (CD) and their combinations were prepared as briquettes and analyzed in order to determine their ability to adsorb nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from river water. The combinations were as follows : Pure CCD (T1), 25%t CD 75% CCD (T2), 50% CD:50% CCD (T3) and 75% CD:25% CCD (T4). The briquettes immersed in river water showed a slight increase in the nitrogen and phosphorus content (9.00% and 6.38% increase respectively) but not statistically significant. On the other hand, potassium was observed to be leaching out. The amount of leached potassium in pure CCD was higher than the other combinations. The combinations immersed in IAS lagoon water had significant increased in the nitrogen and phosphorus content. This was due to the relatively higher nitrogen and phosphorus content of lagoon water 124.10mg/L and 44.49 mg/L respectively) compared to that of the river water 1.50 mg/L and 0.3 mg/L respectively). However, the different combinations had equal capacty to adsorb nitrogen. Phosphorus adsorption showed that 75% CD: 25% D had the highest amount adsorbed (54.58%-83.70 %) followed by 50% CD: 50% CCD (28.76% - 10.72%). The same pattern of potassium adsorption was observed. The amount of nitrogen and potassium adsorbed by the combinations were affected by the concentration of nutrients in the water. Furthermore, the different combinations of charcoal dust and coconut coir dust had the same capacity to adsorb nitrogen. Phosphorus adsorption is directly correlated with the amount of charcoal dus present in the combination. Utilizing the adsorbed nutrients from the differen combinatios in growing mungbean resulted to a comparable plant growth of mungbean planted in garden soil. Plant height, shoot fresh and dry weight, root length, root fresh and dry weight, root to shoot ratio, total leaf surface area and average number of leaves were observed for 20 days. The different briquettes, which were soaked in river and lagoon waters, were evaluated as a growing medium for mungbean. The growth parameters evaluated did not show significant differences wit the ordinary garden soil.

Document Type

Master Thesis

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 995 2003 E8 B45

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