Republic of the Philippines

Region V
Department of Education
Division of Tabaco
Tabaco National High School
S.Y. 2018-2019

UTILIZATION OF RICE HUSK-BASED

ACTIVATED CARBON AS AN ADSORBENT

FOR CONTAMINATED WATER

Andrei Lance O. Baraquiel

Researcher

Mr. Kent Lexinn Ian M. Cantal

Research Adviser
Introduction

The Philippines is known for its agricultural activities such as rice production due

to its wide agricultural land areas. Rice is the most consumed staple food in the

Philippines. Because of this, the Filipinos are among the world’s biggest rice

consumers. The country produced around 16 million tons of rice in 2007 and nearly 20.7

million metric tons in 2010. However, the said crop produces agricultural residues which

is one of the most common agricultural wastes in the Philippines, the rice husks. The

estimated production of Rice husks in the country is more than 2 million tons per

annum. The said residue has been given alternative actions to be put in good use.

(Zafar, 2018)

The rice husk, also called rice hull, is the coating on a seed or a grain of rice. It is

formed from hard materials, including silica and lignin, to protect the seed during the

growing season. (IIRI, Year Unknown) The said residue has been used by other

companies for energy production and as a boiler fuel to generate electricity. In some

cases, the rice hulls are being thrown away or burned which, according to the

Department of Science and Technology (DOST), contributes more air pollution than

vehicle emissions. This residue has also been used as an adsorbent for aqueous

solutions due to its high carbon content which, according to IIRI, has a 40% carbon

content. Activated carbon products, on the other hand, are produced from organic

materials that are rich in carbon. (Kalderis et. al., 2007)

With this, the researcher would like to address the main problem of the study

which is to end the contamination of water in some localities of Bicol Region

contaminated with heavy metals such as copper, lead and iron. According to Ateneo De

Naga University (ADNU), the Naga River has been contaminated due to the pollution of
land and waterways. It stated there that the said river has been contaminated by heavy

metals such as mercury (Hg) and Lead (Pb) which exceeded the natural content

especially at Station 3. A similar problem has been experienced in Paracale, Camarines

Norte wherein small-scale gold miners disposed the untreated wastewater from

amalgamation process to water bodies, according to the study of Samaniego et. al.

Results showed that all metals, except for Ba, exceeded the effluent regulatory limits

including Mercury (Hg) and Lead (Pb) which are 44 and 94 times higher than the limit,

respectively. This problem has also been experienced in Jonop, Malinao Albay,

according to the study of Cañon et. al., wherein the underground water, which is one of

their sources of water, is now contaminated due to agricultural runoffs such as overuse

of fertilizers and pesticides used by farmers in their crops that affects the soil leading to

land pollution. The contaminants in the water are usually trace metals like aluminum,

copper, iron, lead, nickel, and sodium. Heavy metal toxicity has proven to be a major

threat and there are several health risks associated with it. They sometimes act as a

pseudo element while at certain times they may even interfere with metabolic

processes. This can also lead to various disorders and can also result in excessive

damage to one’s physical being. (Jaishankar et. al. Year Unknown)

Issues like this are being solved by utilizing Activated Carbon to adsorb

contaminants. Activated Carbon is a unique adsorbent prized for its extremely porous

structure that allows it to effectively capture and hold materials. Widely used throughout

a number of industries to remove undesirable components from liquids or gases,

activated carbon can be applied to an unending number of applications that require the

removal of contaminants or undesirable materials, from water and air purification, to soil
remediation, and even gold recovery. However, the issue being faced here is the price

wherein the minimum price of only a kilogram of Activated Carbon is 225 Php.

With this, the researcher plans to utilize rice husk, which is an agricultural residue

usually costs low if sold, as an adsorbent in the form of Activated Carbon. This study

aims to introduce an adsorbent, specifically Rice husk-based Activated Carbon, to

adsorb heavy metals, specifically lead, iron, and copper, in contaminated waters.

Statement of the Problem

1. What is the expert’s evaluation on the research design in terms of the

adsorption activity of Rice husk?

2. What are the significant differences between the results of adsorption of iron,

lead and copper contaminated water?

3. What are the significant differences between the results of the adsorption

using different concentrations (20%,40%,60%,80%) of Zinc Chloride in activation of the

rice husks?

Methods

Collection and Preparation

10 kg of Rice husks were gathered at Cabagñan, Tabaco City, Albay. After the

collection, these were then washed thoroughly to remove unwanted impurtities. The

residues were then sun-dried for 30-45 min. After the cleaning and drying of the rice

husks, the equipment and tools for the carbonization and activation were prepared.

Carbonization
 The dried husks were pulverized using a mortar and pestle and were then placed

in a container with a lid. The husks were then indirectly exposed to heat. The lid of the

container was needed to avoid other gaseous elements interfering with the

carbonization. The husks were carbonized for 30-45 min depending on the amount of

heat applied. After the carbonization, the husks were placed in a clean container left to

cool until safe to touch.

Activation

The carbonized rice husks were activated chemically using Zinc Chloride with

different concentrations (20%, 40%, 60% and 80%). The husks with Zinc Chloride was

added with distilled water at a quantity amounting to ten times the total weight of the

solid mixture. The mixtures were then stirred and heated. A thick uniform paste was

obtained after 2 hours. The mixtures were then covered and cooled for 24 hours.

Preparation of the Set-ups

Three set-ups were prepared: one for the Lead contaminated water, one for the

copper contaminated water, and one for the Iron contaminated water. The

contamination was made possible by applying 50% of lead, copper sulfate, and ferrous

sulfate to three 200 mL water for each replicate in the three set-ups. Each set-up

contains 4 replicates for the application of the different concentrations of activated

carbon.

Adsorption Process

60 grams of activated carbon husks with different concentrations were applied to

the 4 replicates of each set-up. After the application, the mixtures were continuously

stirred until visible changes were observed. The mixtures were then covered and set for
15 minutes. After the adsorption, the mixtures were then filtered using a filter paper to

separate the activated carbon and adsorbed water. The adsorption rate of the activated

carbon was then observed using the percent removal and the mixtures were sent to

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for the physicochemical analysis.

References:

 Kalderis et. al., (2008) Adsorption of polluting substances on activated carbons

prepared from rice husk and sugarcane bagasse from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385894708000223

 Regis et. al., (2013) Baseline Assessment of the Current Environmental

Condition of the Naga River – Institute for Environmental Conservation and

Research from https://www.adnu.edu.ph/inecar/research-

projects/completed/baseline-assessment-of-the-current-environmental-condition-

of-the-naga-river/

 Samaniego et. al., (Year Unknown) Physico-chemical Characteristics of

wastewater from a Ball Mill Facility in Small-Scale Gold Mining Area of Paracale,

Camarines Norte, Philippines from http://philjournalsci.dost.gov.ph?78-vol-147-

no-3-september-2018/803-physico-chemical-characteristics-of-wastewater-from-

a-ball-mill-facility-in-small-scale-gold-mining-area-of-paracale-camarines-norte-

philippines

 Salman Zafar (2018) Agricultural wastes in the Philippines from

https://www.bioenergyconsult.com/agricultural-resources-in-philippines/