Effect of  Immobilized-ZnO Resin and UV Lamp Spacing on Continuous Photocatalyst Reactor for Total-N and Phosphate Removal

Authors

  • Elsa Arinda Department of Environmental Engineering, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jawa Timur, Surabaya, Jawa Timur, Indonesia.
  • Euis Nurul Hidayah * Department of Environmental Engineering, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jawa Timur, Surabaya, Jawa Timur, Indonesia. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2055-3051
  • R Mohammad Alghaf Dienullah Department of Environmental Engineering, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jawa Timur, Surabaya, Jawa Timur, Indonesia. https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1435-2396
  • Murat Yılmaz Department of Chemistry and Chemical Processing Technologies, Bahçe Vocational School, Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, Osmaniye, 80000, Türkiye. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6465-6960

https://doi.org/10.22105/jeee.v3i1.62

Abstract

The tofu industry generates wastewater with high concentrations of Total Nitrogen (Total-N) and phosphate, posing significant environmental risks if untreated. This study evaluates the performance of a continuous photocatalysis reactor using Resin-Immobilized Photocatalyst Zinc Oxide (RIP-ZnO) to remove Total-N and phosphate from tofu wastewater. The research varied the RIP-ZnO mass (25, 37.5, and 50 g) and the distance between the Ultraviolet (UV) lamp and the liquid surface (0, 10, and 20 cm). Prior to treatment, the wastewater was filtered to remove coarse particles and then processed in a tubular continuous-flow photocatalysis reactor at a constant flow rate of 30 mL/min. Samples were collected at 0, 4, 8, and 12 hours and analyzed for Total-N and phosphate concentrations using spectrophotometric methods based on Standar Nasional Indonesia (SNI) 6989.11:2019 standards. One-way  Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to assess the significance of treatment variables. Results showed optimal removal efficiency with 25 g of RIP-ZnO and a UV lamp distance of 0 cm, achieving 65.05% Total-N and 67.22% phosphate removal. The ANOVA test yielded a p-value < 0.05, indicating that both RIP-ZnO mass and UV distance significantly affected removal efficiency. The removal mechanism involved oxidation by Hydroxyl Radicals (•OH) generated by ZnO and ion exchange by the resin. Under optimal conditions, the reactor reduced Total-N from 18.3 mg/L to 6.4 mg/L and phosphate from 6.4 mg/L to 2.1 mg/L.

Keywords:

Photocatalysis, Tofu wastewater, Resin-immobilized Photocatalyst Zinc Oxide, Total Nitrogen, Phosphate

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Published

2026-03-18

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): Journal of Environmental Engineering and Energy (JEEE)

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Arinda, E. ., Hidayah, E. N. ., Dienullah, R. M. A. ., & Yılmaz, M. . (2026). Effect of  Immobilized-ZnO Resin and UV Lamp Spacing on Continuous Photocatalyst Reactor for Total-N and Phosphate Removal. Journal of Environmental Engineering and Energy, 3(1), 56-65. https://doi.org/10.22105/jeee.v3i1.62