Dr. P. PadmavathyDr. V. RaniDr. R. ShaliniMs. A. Aswini B.F.Sc.2021-08-072021-08-072021https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810171533Shrimp farm effluent possess huge amount of organic matter and other pollutants which should be treated before discharging them into the environment. The present study was carried out to assess the efficiency of agrowaste in the treatment of shrimp farm effluent. Agrowastes such as orange peel, pomegranate peel, coconut husk and rice husk were collected from the local markets of Thoothukudi. The pyrolysis of the agrowastes were carried out at 300oC to transform them into biochar. To compare the efficiency of biochar using different combinations of agrowaste, six possible combinations such as orange peel and pomegranate peel (O+P), pomegranate peel and coconut husk (P+C), orange peel and coconut husk (O+C), rice husk and orange peel (R+O), rice husk and coconut husk (R+C), pomegranate peel and rice husk (P+R) were chosen. Wastewater samples were collected from brackish water shrimp farms in Thoothukudi. The initial physicochemical parameters in the effluent were analysed and the treatment process were carried out as batch adsorption experiment in laboratory. The wastewater samples (100 ml) were taken in conical flask and treated with 3 different dosage levels viz., 0.05g, 0.25g and 1.25g using an orbital shaker (250 rpm) under 3 different contact times (30, 60 and 90 minutes). The concentration of water quality parameters were compared before and after treatment. During treatment, the concentration of parameters were significantly (P95% after treatment with specific and combination biochars. Comparatively maximum BOD and COD removal efficiency was recorded in O+P treated effluent as 99.62 ± 0.77% and 97.4 ± 1.33% respectively. In comparison with four specific and six combination biochars, maximum ammonia removal efficiency was recorded as 50.87 ± 1.24% after treatment with coconut husk biochar. Nutrients such as nitrite and nitrate removal efficiency were found to be higher in combination biochars such as O+C (45.11 ± 1.64 %) and P+C (27.60 ± 1.45%) respectively. Other parameters such as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Total Solids (TS) removal efficiency were found to be maximum in O+C (38.18 ± 1.26%), O+P (62.45 ± 2.15%) and O+C (32.78 ± 1.25%) combinations respectively. The presence of functional groups, surface morphology and elemental composition of the biochar, before and after wastewater treatment were identified by FTIR, FESEM and EDS analysis. This helped to characterize the biochars used in the present work. With the findings it is evident that the best dosage and contact time for the treatment of shrimp farm effluent with the biochars were found to be 1.25g and 90 minutes respectively. In this study, the high concentrations of ammonia, BOD and COD observed in raw shrimp wastewater were reduced by biochar treatment to the standard level for effluent discharge as prescribed by Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) of India. Thus, biochar obtained from agrowastes when used as an adsorbent either specifically or as combinations serves as a potential bio remediators in the treatment of shrimp farm effluent. Besides that, pyrolysis technique is found to be promising, efficient, cost-effective and eco-friendly effluent treatment method.EnglishThesis