Assessment of Endotoxin Removal from Reclaimed Wastewater Using Coagulation-Flocculation

Following biological treatment, wastewater continues to have endotoxic active materials. However, because there is a trend of potable reuse and because endotoxic active materials potentially have harmful effects on human health, their removal from water is crucial. Lipopolysaccharide endotoxin has hydrophobic groups, and their removal using a coagulation-flocculation alternative is believed to be efficient. Thus, their removal from reclaimed wastewater using the coagulation-flocculation process was assessed. Secondary effluent samples from a wastewater treatment plant located in Sapporo, Japan, were investigated. It was found that this process gave satisfactory results in removing endotoxins, with an optimum removal rate of up to 40.5%. The endotoxin removal was maximized by adjusting the pH at the low range 4 - 5.5, with an aluminum sulfate dose of 80 mg/L. Further increases of the coagulant dose did not improve the removal efficiency. DOC and turbidity removal were at their optimum at higher pH range 5.5 - 6.5. Thus coagulation and flocculation could be considered as the first barrier and should be followed by other treatments to safely reuse reclaimed wastewater.

Optimization and modeling of coagulation-flocculation to remove algae and organic matter from surface water by response surface methodology

Seasonal algal blooms of Lake Yangcheng highlight the necessity to develop an effective and optimal water treatment process to enhance the removal of algae and dissolved organic matter (DOM). In the present study, the coagulation performance for the removal of algae, turbidity, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (UV254) was investigated systematically by central composite design (CCD) using response surface methodology (RSM). The regression models were developed to illustrate the relationships between coagulation performance and experimental variables. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to test the significance of the response surface models. It can be concluded that the major mechanisms of coagulation to remove algae and DOM were charge neutralization and sweep flocculation at a pH range of 4.66–6.34. The optimal coagulation conditions with coagulant dosage of 7.57 mg Al/L, pH of 5.42 and initial algal cell density of 3.83 × 106 cell/mL led to removal of 96.76%, 97.64%, 40.23% and 30.12% in term of cell density, turbidity, DOC and UV254 absorbance, respectively, which were in good agreement with the validation experimental results. A comparison between the modeling results derived through both ANOVA and artificial neural networks (ANN) based on experimental data showed a high correlation coefficient, which indicated that the models were significant and fitted well with experimental results. The results proposed a valuable reference for the treatment of algae-laden surface water in practical application by the optimal coagulation-flocculation process.

Restoration or Rehabilitation of the Faleme River Affected by Mining Activities: What Methods?

The Faleme River, a West Africa long transboundary stream (625 km) and abundant flow (>1100 million m3) is affected by severe erosion because of mining activities that takes place throughout the riverbed. To preserve this important watercourse and ensure the sustainability of its services, selecting and implementing appropriates restorations techniques is vital. In this context, the purpose of this paper was to present an overview of the actions and techniques that can be implemented for the restoration/rehabilitation of the Faleme. The methodological approach includes field investigation, water sampling, literature review with cases studies and SWOT analysis of the four methods presented: river dredging, constructed wetlands, floating treatment wetlands and chemical precipitation (coagulation and flocculation). The study confirmed the pollution of the river by suspended solids (TSS > 1100 mg/L) and heavy metals such as iron, zinc, aluminium, and arsenic. For the restoration methods, it was illustrated through description of their mode of operation and through some case studies presented, that all the four methods have proven their effectiveness in treating rivers but have differences in their costs, their sustainability (detrimental to living organisms or causing a second pollution) and social acceptance. They also have weaknesses and issues that must be addressed to ensure success of rehabilitation. For the case of the Faleme river, after analysis, floating treatment wetlands are highly recommended for their low cost, good removal efficiency if the vulnerability of the raft and buoyancy to strong waves and flow is under control.

Chemical oxygen demand reduction in coffee wastewater through chemical flocculation and advanced oxidation processes

The removal of the natural organic matter present in coffee processing wastewater through chemical coagulation-flocculation and advanced oxidation processes （AOP） had been studied. The effectiveness of the removal of natural organic matter using commercial flocculants and UV/H202, UV/O3 and UV/H2O2/O3 processes was determined under acidic conditions. For each of these processes, different operational conditions were explored to optimize the treatment efficiency of the coffee wastewater. Coffee wastewater is characterized by a high chemical oxygen demand （COD） and low total suspended solids. The outcomes of coffee wastewater treatment using coagulation-flocculation and photodegradation processes were assessed in terms of reduction of COD, color, and turbidity. It was found that a reduction in COD of 67% could be realized when the coffee wastewater was treated by chemical coagulation-flocculation with lime and coagulant T-1. When coffee wastewater was treated by coagulation-flocculation in combination with UV/H2O2, a COD reduction of 86% was achieved, although only after prolonged UV irradiation. Of the three advanced oxidation processes considered, UV/H2O2, UV/O3 and UV/H2O2/O3, we found that the treatment with UV/H2O2/O3 was the most effective, with an efficiency of color, turbidity and further COD removal of 87%, when applied to the flocculated coffee wastewater.

Treatment of mine drainage generated by lead-zinc concentration plant

The purification efficiency in the treatment of the mine drainage generated by the mineral processing industry in Mengzi,Yunnan Project, China, was investigated, and the influences of the treated drainage on the mineral electrodes' electrochemical behaviors were tested. Experiments with different doses of polyacrylamide(PAM) and polymeric ferric sulfate(PFS) at different pH values were carried out, and the advanced purification by activated carbon(AC) was conducted. Compared with PFS, the better coagulant for removal efficiency is PAM, under the optimal conditions, the removals of Pb2+, Zn2+, Cu2+ and COD reduction from solution were 94.8%, 79.9%, 87.6% and 85%, respectively. In the advanced purification, the particle size of activated carbon and agitation time played important roles in the removal efficiency. Each pollute concentration could meet the emission standard of pollutants for lead and zinc industry(GB25466—2010). The wastewater without treatment affected galena and sphalerite electrochemical behaviors greatly, after treatment by the technology, the effects disappeared, which proved the reliability of the technology for wastewater treatment.

Application of Single Angle Turbidimetry on Coag-Flocculation Effect of <i>Detarium microcarpum</i>Seed in Brewery Effluent

Coagulation-flocculation is a proven technique for the removal of suspended solids in wastewater, through the application of single angle turbidimetric measurement. Through this measurement, the coag-flocculation kinetics and functional parameters behavior of Detarium microcarpumin brewery effluent with respect to pH, dosage and time were followed at room temperature. Process parameters such as order of reaction α, rate constant (K), coagulation period τ1/2 etc were determined. Results indicated that reaction order, rate constant, period, pH and dosage recorded optimum values at 2, 1.8 × 10-2 L/mg.min, 0.152 min, 4 and 100 mg/L, respectively. Maximum efficiency recorded was 96.07% at 30 min. Detarium microcarpum has shown potential as an effective bio-coagulant for the removal of turbidity from brewery effluent.

Flocculation behaviors of a novel papermaking sludge-based flocculant in practical printing and dyeing wastewater treatment

In our previous studies,several papermaking sludge-based flocculants(PSBFs)were synthesized from wood pulp papermaking sludge.The structure-activity relationships of the PSBFs have been investigated in simulated dye wastewater treatment,but their efficiencies in practical printing and dyeing wastewater(PPDW)treatment are unknown.Herein,an PSBF was prepared,and its performance is discussed in comparison to polyaluminium chloride(PAC)and polyacrylamide(PAM)in PPDW treatment.The PSBF was used in three ways:as an independent flocculant,as a PAC aid,or used to treat the effluent of the PAC system.The results indicated that adding PSBF alone produced similar color and chemical oxygen demand(COD_(Cr))removals as the PAC system alone,but PSBF performed better than PAC when the pH of PPDW was higher than 7.0.Adding PSBF as a PAC aid improved the color,COD_(Cr)and turbidity removals,but the elimination efficiencies were slightly lower than those of the PAC+PAM system.However,when PSBF was used as a flocculant to treat the effluent of the PAC system(PAC→PSBF),the effluent qualities were enhanced.Compared with the PAC system,the color and COD_(Cr)removals of PAC→PSBF system increased by 16.21%and 13.26%,respectively.The excitation and emission matrix fluorescence results indicated that PSBF removed tryptophan-like pollutants more efficiently than PAC.Considering the pH requirements of the subsequent bioreactor treatment in practice,the PAC→PSBF system were also investigated at the PPDW pH level of 7.0.Its maximum removal efficiencies of color,COD_(Cr)and turbidity were 90.17%,32.60%and 82.50%,respectively.

A review of removal technology for antimony in aqueous solution

Antimony(Sb)and its compounds,toxic metalloid,have been classified as high-priority pollutants.Increasing Sb released into the water environment by natural processes and anthropogenic activities,which exposure threatens to human health and ecosystems.Therefore,it is of unquestionable importance to remove Sb from polluted water.Keeping in view the extreme importance of this issue,we summarize the source,chemistry,speciation,distribution,toxicity,and polluted situation of Sb about aqueous solution.Then,we provide the recent and common technology to remove Sb,which are based on adsorption,coagulation/flocculation,electrochemical technology,membrane technology,ion exchange,etc.In this review,we focus in detail on the adsorption method,researchers at present have been investigating to discover more advanced,cost-effective,eco-friendly,reusable adsorbents.However,to date the Sb-containing wastewater treatment technologies are not sufficiently developed and most of research have been tested only in controlled lab conditions.Few reports are available that include field studies and applications.We critically analyzed the salient features and removal mechanisms,evaluating benefits and limitations of these technologies,hoping to provide more references for further research.Finally,we considered the Fe-or Mn-based technologies was the most promising technique to remove Sb for field application.