Uso de biomateriales en comunidades rurales

Abstract

The development of biomaterials from waste is an interesting alternative for the utilization and valorization of agro-industrial waste materials. In this work, natural and activated bioadsorbents are synthesized from avocado (ANB and AAN), mango (MNB and MAB), and orange (ONB and OAB) waste. The activated biomaterials were synthesized by a thermochemical process, using different activating agents (H3PO4, ZnCl2, and NaOH) and heat treatment at 600 °C for 3 h. The synthesized biomaterials have functional groups that allow the adsorption of organic contaminants (dyes, pharmaceuticals compounds, and organic matter) and heavy metals, achieving removal rates of 90-95% using high concentrations of pollutants (above the values identified in domestic and industrial wastewater). In addition, the materials exhibit excellent surface properties and thermal and chemical stability, allowing the biomaterials to be applied in other areas. The biomaterials synthesized from avocado (AAB) and mango (MAB) were applied for the post-treatment of treated water at the San Francisco Pichátaro Wastewater Treatment Plant in Michoacán. The results show that biomaterials are highly effective in removing organic matter, achieving a removal rate of 90-95% of total organic carbon. This indicates that it could be a sustainable technology with potential for use in rural communities to improve the quality of treated water or to remove contaminants present in aquifers.