<![CDATA[Excessive iron (Fe) concentrations in groundwater remain a major concern in the food industry because they can compromise water quality and lead to noncompliance with regulatory standards. Water quality analysis in a food processing facility showed an Fe concentration of 1.075 mg/L, exceeding the permissible limit of 0.2 mg/L. This study investigated the effect of coconut shell activated carbon particle size on the reduction of Fe levels in groundwater. Coconut shells, an abundant food-industry by-product, were used as a sustainable raw material for the production of activated carbon. A true experimental study with a pretest and posttest design without a control group was conducted. A total of 30 kg of activated carbon was produced and physically activated at 600°C for 1 hour. Three particle sizes (25, 30, and 35-mesh) were applied in filtration columns with a volume of 11,304 cm³. Groundwater samples were collected using the grab sampling method, with six replicates per treatment (18 paired samples). Fe concentrations were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) according to SNI 6989.4:2009. Data were analyzed descriptively using the Shapiro–Wilk test, One-Way ANOVA, and post hoc analysis. Fe concentrations decreased by 75.1%, 81.6%, and 88.4% with 25- mesh, 30- mesh, and 35-mesh activated carbon, respectively. The 35-mesh treatment achieved the highest removal efficiency. One-Way ANOVA and post hoc tests showed significant differences in Fe removal among the three particle sizes (p < 0.001). Activated carbon particle size significantly affected Fe removal from groundwater, with 35-mesh coconut shell activated carbon exhibiting the highest adsorption efficiency. ]]>
Copyrights © 2026
