wcm.02.2025.276.280

Petroleum-contaminated wastewater is a significant environmental issue since it is harmful and possesses a complex composition. This study investigates the feasibility of shrimp shell powder (SSP) as a low-cost and environmentally friendly biosorbent to treat petroleum-contaminated wastewater. SSP was manufactured by collecting, washing, drying, and milling shrimp shells into powder. Physicochemical characteristics of SSP were established by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) to determine its functional groups and composition. Synthetic petroleum industrial wastewater was used and treated with varying dosages of SSP from 0.15 g to 1.0 g using sample size of 60 ml at natural pH (7.5) and shaking time of 60 minutes at 150 RPM. It was observed that SSP exhibited an optimum color removal efficiency of 94.11% and COD reduction of 91.68% with the optimal dose of SSP being equal to 0.6 g. At the dose of SSP, any increases in SSP dosage led to reductions in removal efficiencies by charge destabilization effects. Additionally, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and total dissolved solids (TDS) were measured after treatment for determining the impact of SSP on treated effluent. With regards to, pH was increased from 7.8 to 9.0, Electrical Conductivity (EC) was increased from 500 to 780, and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) was increased from 300 to 600 mg/L, as a result of calcium carbonate and chitosan-derived compounds dissolving. It means that SSP is effective and could be a viable, sustainable solution for wastewater treatment. This particularly applies to petroleum-derived pollutants. But there is a requirement for post-treatment filtration to be further improved. TDS accumulation has to be mitigated. The strength of this research is its potential of SSP as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly option for industrial wastewater treatment.