Performance of Olive pit Ash's In Nitrate Removal from the Aqueous Solutions

Nitrate ion in drinking water has been found to have a significant effect against health human. Nitrate is an acute toxic; it can be reduced to nitrite in the stomach when it can lead to have blue baby diseases in infants. This research is directed towards to elucidate the nitrate removal efficiency by kernel ashes of olive in water supply. This experimental study was conducted in a batch laboratory scale. The batch flow experiments for nitrate removal were undertaken to investigate the effects of the different parameters such as: initial concentrations of nitrate solution (50, 100, 150 mg/l), initial pH (3,5,7,9), detention time (15,30,60,120,180 min), and weight of adsorbent(.04,. 06.. 08 gr). Nitrate concentrations were measured by standard method using a spectrophotometer at two wavelengths 220 and 275 nm. The Results obtained showed that the removal efficiency increases when the time and adsorbent dose is increased. By decreasing of pH value and the initial concentration of nitrate, the removal efficiency would be increased significantly. Investigation of the effect of nitrate initial concentration showed that increasing initial concentration of nitrate from 50 to 150 mg/l and without changing absorbent dose would lead to decrease in the absorption efficiency from 88% to 48% but the absorption capacity (qe) increased from 8.31 to 14.3. Moreover the maximum absorption took Place at 60 min of the first reaction. Nitrate removal by olive kernel ashes are considered as effective and appropriate method compared with other absorbents and the process is more efficient at acidic pH.