Treatment of Latex Industry Wastewater Using Chemically Modified Sugar Cane Bagasse

Abstract

The latex industry generates large volumes of wastewater containing high concentrations of suspended solids, organic matter, and chemical additives, which pose serious environmental hazards if discharged untreated. Conventional treatment methods are often costly and inefficient in removing specific pollutants. This study investigates the potential of chemically modified sugarcane bagasse, an abundant and low-cost agricultural byproduct, as an adsorbent for treating latex industry wastewater. The bagasse was subjected to chemical modification to enhance its surface area and functional groups, thereby improving its adsorption capacity. Batch experiments were conducted to analyse parameters such as pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and pollutant concentration. The results demonstrate significant reductions in chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), and turbidity, highlighting the efficiency of modified sugarcane bagasse in wastewater purification. The findings suggest that this approach offers a sustainable, economical, and eco-friendly alternative for latex industry effluent treatment, contributing to both waste valorisation and environmental protection.

Introduction

This study investigates the use of chemically modified sugarcane bagasse as a low-cost and environmentally friendly adsorbent for treating latex industry wastewater. Latex manufacturing generates wastewater containing high levels of organic matter, suspended solids, ammonia, and chemical additives, which can cause severe environmental pollution if discharged untreated. Conventional treatment methods are often expensive and may create secondary pollution, making agricultural waste–based adsorbents a sustainable alternative.

The main objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of sugarcane bagasse in improving wastewater quality by analyzing key parameters such as pH, turbidity, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), and total solids, and comparing results before and after treatment.

Materials and Methodology

• Wastewater samples were collected from a latex processing industry.
• Sugarcane bagasse was collected, washed, dried, ground, and chemically modified.
• Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was used to activate the bagasse and increase its adsorption capacity.
• Citric acid was used to introduce additional functional groups and improve pollutant removal efficiency.
• Modified bagasse was added to wastewater in different dosages (2 g, 4 g, 6 g, and 8 g), and water quality parameters were measured after treatment.

Key Findings

Before Treatment

The wastewater was highly polluted:

• pH: 1.62 (highly acidic)
• Turbidity: 165 NTU
• Total Solids: 2200 mg/L
• COD: 1950 mg/L
• BOD: 15,300 mg/L

After Treatment

Increasing the dosage of modified bagasse improved wastewater quality:

• pH increased from 1.62 to 3.22, reducing acidity.
• Turbidity decreased from 165 NTU to 136 NTU.
• COD reduced from 1950 mg/L to 850 mg/L.
• BOD reduced from 15,300 mg/L to 9,150 mg/L.
• The best results were obtained with the 8 g dosage of modified bagasse.
• However, total solids increased after treatment, indicating a limitation of the process.

References

[1] R. Begum and G. P. Desai, “Treatment of industrial wastewater by using sugarcane bagasse,” International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET), vol. 6, no. 7, 2019. [2] O. S. Olaniyan, G. M. Amusan, B. O. Orogade, A. A. Lawal, A. O. Ojekunle, and J. A. Ayanlola, “Raw water treatment using a filtration bed made of sugarcane bagasse as an adsorption layer,” Adeleke University Journal of Engineering and Technology (AUJET), vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 39–44, 2022. [3] P. T. Thom and B. T. Thom, “Using sugarcane bagasse as an adsorbent material to remove iron from water,” International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, vol. 14, no. 9, pp. 67–76, 2024. [4] V. Yogeshwaran and A. K. Priya, “Experimental studies on the removal of heavy metal ion concentration using sugarcane bagasse in batch adsorption process,” Desalination and Water Treatment, vol. 224, pp. 256–272, 2021. [5] R. Wannahari et al., “Sugarcane bagasse derived nano magnetic adsorbent composite (SCB-NMAC) for removal of Cu²? rom aqueous solution,” ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, vol. 13, pp. 1–9, 2018.

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Anees K, Ayisha Shahana , Jumna Jebin, Mizna , Ramees E K. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.