Optimization Studies of The Treatment of Laundry Wastewater Using Activated Carbon Derived from HDPE Chars

David Emoefe Rockson-Itiveh; Cyril Oghenekome Anakpoha; Mabel Keke; Marcel Ajogri; Ulakpa Wisdom; Fabian Chidiebere Ozioko; Samson Onoriode Okpo

doi:10.9767/jcerp.20825

DOI: https://doi.org/10.9767/jcerp.20825

Optimization Studies of The Treatment of Laundry Wastewater Using Activated Carbon Derived from HDPE Chars

David Emoefe Rockson-Itiveh , Cyril Oghenekome Anakpoha, Mabel Keke, Marcel Ajogri, Ulakpa Wisdom, Fabian Chidiebere Ozioko, Samson Onoriode Okpo

Chemical Engineering Department, Southern Delta University, Ozoro, Nigeria

Received: 26 Aug 2026; Revised: 6 Sep 2026; Accepted: 7 Sep 2026; Available online: 10 Sep 2026; Published: 26 Dec 2026.

Editor(s): Istadi Istadi

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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@article{JCERP20825,
    author = {David Emoefe Rockson-Itiveh and Cyril Oghenekome Anakpoha and Mabel Keke and Marcel Ajogri and Ulakpa Wisdom and Fabian Chidiebere Ozioko and Samson Onoriode Okpo},
    title = {Optimization Studies of The Treatment of Laundry Wastewater Using Activated Carbon Derived from HDPE Chars},
    journal = {Journal of Chemical Engineering Research Progress},
  volume = {3},
    number = {2},
    year = {2026},
    keywords = {Plastic; HDPE; Pyrolysis; Wastewater; Adsorption},
    abstract = { Growing plastic waste and industrial wastewater necessitate sustainable treatment solutions. This study optimized industrial wastewater treatment using activated carbon derived from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pyrolysis char via thermal activation, eliminating the need for aggressive chemical agents. Characterization via FTIR, BET, and SEM-EDX revealed a micro-mesoporous structure with a BET surface area of 287.3 m²/g, a 90.05 atomic percent carbon content, and dominant pore sizes of 2.1 to 2.6 nm. The adsorbent performance was evaluated against laundry wastewater using a Central Composite Design and Response Surface Methodology. Statistical analysis yielded a robust model (R² = 0.9406, adequate precision = 15.54) to assess the impact of dosage, contact time, and initial concentration. Numerical optimization identified ideal conditions: 8.68 g/L dosage and 15-minute contact time for a 100 mg/L initial concentration. Experimental validation confirmed a 77.99% total dissolved solids (TDS) reduction, aligning closely with the predicted 79.48%. Post-treatment analysis indicated significant quality improvements, with COD and TOC levels decreasing to 35.8 mg/L and 21.6 mg/L, respectively, while dissolved oxygen increased from 0.6 to 4.3 mg/L. This research confirms that HDPE-derived activated carbon offers an effective, sustainable approach for both wastewater remediation and plastic waste valorization. Copyright © 2026 by Authors, Published by Universitas Diponegoro and BCREC Publishing Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 ). },
   issn = {3032-7059},   pages = {390--399}  doi = {10.9767/jcerp.20825},
    url = {https://journal.bcrec.id/index.php/jcerp/article/view/20825}
}

Citation Format:

Abstract

Growing plastic waste and industrial wastewater necessitate sustainable treatment solutions. This study optimized industrial wastewater treatment using activated carbon derived from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pyrolysis char via thermal activation, eliminating the need for aggressive chemical agents. Characterization via FTIR, BET, and SEM-EDX revealed a micro-mesoporous structure with a BET surface area of 287.3 m²/g, a 90.05 atomic percent carbon content, and dominant pore sizes of 2.1 to 2.6 nm. The adsorbent performance was evaluated against laundry wastewater using a Central Composite Design and Response Surface Methodology. Statistical analysis yielded a robust model (R² = 0.9406, adequate precision = 15.54) to assess the impact of dosage, contact time, and initial concentration. Numerical optimization identified ideal conditions: 8.68 g/L dosage and 15-minute contact time for a 100 mg/L initial concentration. Experimental validation confirmed a 77.99% total dissolved solids (TDS) reduction, aligning closely with the predicted 79.48%. Post-treatment analysis indicated significant quality improvements, with COD and TOC levels decreasing to 35.8 mg/L and 21.6 mg/L, respectively, while dissolved oxygen increased from 0.6 to 4.3 mg/L. This research confirms that HDPE-derived activated carbon offers an effective, sustainable approach for both wastewater remediation and plastic waste valorization. Copyright © 2026 by Authors, Published by Universitas Diponegoro and BCREC Publishing Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Keywords: Plastic; HDPE; Pyrolysis; Wastewater; Adsorption

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Section: Original Research Articles

Language : EN

In 2026: JCERP, Volume 3 Issue 2 Year 2026 (December)

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