Activated bioadsorbents from mango byproducts and their application for post-treatment of treated wastewater. Preliminary studies

Abstract

The agro-industrialization of mango (Mangifera indica) is one of the most profitable processes in the state of Michoacán, Mexico. This represents a great challenge in relation to the integral management of its by-products, such as peel and seed, due to the large quantity generated and its characteristics. These by-products, to date, lack integral management for the industry despite having found valuable uses, especially for the seed and its fats that are similar to those of cocoa. According to the regulatory framework for the management of by-products and waste in Mexico, the development of methodologies that allow the use and valorization of waste is important to generate circular economic models that lead to sustainable processes. For this phase of the research, mango peel waste was collected, recycled and valorized, for the development of structured carbon with excellent properties for its application in the removal of contaminants present in treated wastewater in a water treatment plant in the Purépecha community of San Francisco Pichátaro, Michoacán, Mexico. The research methodology consisted of: i) Collecting mango peel, ii) Synthesizing structured carbon with it through combustion and pyrolytic processes under ideal conditions, and iii) Apply structured carbon to improve the quality of treated wastewater as a tertiary stage. The quality of treated and post-treated wastewater was analyzed using some of the parameters considered in the water quality index (WQI), used in the 1970s, since the community laboratory does not yet have the infrastructure to measure what is indicated by the corresponding Mexican official standard, as well as its American equivalent (NOM, APHA). The results of some of these parameters considered in the WQI showed a material with good physicochemical properties, porosity, thermal and chemical stability and the presence of functional groups for use in removing contaminants.