Development and Performance Evaluation of a Low-Cost Filtration System for Industrial Wastewater Treatment Using Natural Materials

Abstract

Industrial wastewater discharge poses a significant threat to surface and groundwater resources due to the presence of suspended solids, heavy metals, organic pollutants, and chemical residues. Conventional treatment technologies, while effective, are often capital-intensive and energy-demanding, making them inaccessible to small- and medium-scale industries, particularly in developing regions. This study presents the development, experimental evaluation, and performance analysis of a low-cost filtration system utilizing locally available natural materials for industrial wastewater treatment. The filtration unit was designed using layered configurations of sand, gravel, activated charcoal derived from agricultural waste, and natural fibrous media. Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted to assess the system’s efficiency in removing turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and selected heavy metals under varying flow rates and influent concentrations. Results indicate substantial removal efficiencies, with turbidity and suspended solids reduction exceeding 85%, while COD and heavy metal removal ranged between 60% and 75%. The findings demonstrate that natural material-based filtration systems offer a technically viable, environmentally sustainable, and economically feasible alternative for preliminary and secondary treatment of industrial wastewater.