Abstract

The physico-chemical properties of wastewater effluent from the plants of a brewering industry in Nigeria have been analyzed. The lead ions removal capacity of Granular activated carbon from animal horns and its comparison with commercial granulated activated carbon (GAC) was studied. Batch kinetics and isotherm studies were carried out for the adsorption of Pb²⁺. The equilibrium sorption data fitted well the Freundlich model. The experimental data, when applied to the first and second-order kinetic models, followed both kinetic models with r² = 0.898 for GAC from animal horns and r² = 0.973 for commercial GAC. The results obtained showed how animal horns, a solid waste from the abattoir at the Oshodi market in Lagos metropolis, was used as an effective adsorbent for the removal of Pb²⁺ ions; offering a cheap option for primary treatment of the brewery wastewater effluent.

Key words: Brewery, wastewater effluent, primary treatment, batch kinetics.