Pengaruh Variasi Waktu Tinggal (Retention Time) terhadap Efektivitas Pengolahan Limbah Cair Laboratorium pada Reaktor Biofilter Aerob

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the effect of detention time variations on the removal efficiency of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), iron (Fe), and lead (Pb), as well as their relationship with microbial activity in an aerobic wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The research was conducted experimentally using an aerobic reactor with detention times of 4 days, 6 days, and 8 days. The analyzed parameters included BOD, COD, Fe, and Pb concentrations before and after treatment, and their removal efficiencies as indicators of treatment performance. The results showed that increasing detention time in the aerobic reactor significantly improved the removal efficiencies of BOD, COD, Fe, and Pb. The highest removal efficiencies were achieved at a detention time of 8 days compared to 4 and 6 days. The increase in pollutant removal efficiency was consistent with enhanced microbial activity within the aerobic system. These findings indicate that optimizing detention time in an aerobic WWTP plays an important role in improving wastewater treatment performance and reducing pollutant loads discharged into the environment.