COD removal using an artisanal activated carbon filter
This study was initiated with the aim of designing home-made activated carbon filters. These filters should be able to eliminate totally the chemical oxygen demand (COD) in surface water, with a view to alleviating water shortages in rural areas. The artisanal furnace built around an iron skeleton with a maximum temperature of 500 °C was chosen over the non-skeletonized artisanal furnace for activated carbon production. A filtration test on Dougba lake water with nitrate, turbidity and COD concentrations above the WHO standard (2011) identified nitrate as the limiting factor for the filters. During the various filtration tests, COD removal rates of 83.33 % and 85.71 % in wet and dry periods respectively were achieved. To achieve 100% COD removal, two layers of activated carbon were inserted into the filter.