Progress of Electrocatalytic Technology in Treating Organic Chemical Wastewater

In recent years,extensive research has been conducted on the preparation of high catalytic performance electrodes and the development of electrocatalytic water treatment processes.This article introduces the basic principles of electrochemical water treatment,the preparation of electrode materials,and the research progress of electrocatalytic technology for degrading organic chemical wastewater.It analyzes the problems faced by electrocatalytic degradation of organic chemical wastewater and looks forward to the development trend of electrocatalytic technology in the field of organic chemical wastewater treatment.

Life cycle assessment of high concentration organic wastewater treatment by catalytic wet air oxidation

There have been many studies on life cycle assessment in sewage treatment,but there are scarce few studies on the treatment of industrial wastewater in combination with advanced oxidation technology,especially in catalytic wet air oxidation(CWAO).There are no cases of using actual industrialized data onto life cycle assessment.This paper uses Simapro 9.0 software to establish a life cycle assessment model for the treatment of high-concentration organic wastewater by CWAO,and comprehensively explains the impact on the environment from three aspects:the construction phase,the operation phase and the demolition phase.In addition,sensitivity analysis and uncertainty analysis were performed.The results showed that the key factors affecting the environment were marine ecotoxicity,mineral resource consumption and global warming,the operation stage had the greatest impact on the environment,which was related to high power consumption during operation and emissions from the treatment process.Sensitivity analysis showed that electricity consumption has the greatest impact on abiotic depletion and freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity,and it also proved that global warming is mainly caused by pollutant emissions during operation phase.Monte Carlo simulations found slightly higher uncertainty for abiotic depletion and toxicity-related impact categories.

Dual-functional MnS_(2)/MnO_(2) heterostructure catalyst for efficient acidic hydrogen evolution reaction and assisted degradation of organic wastewater

The design and synthesis of non-precious metal dual-functional electrocatalysts through the modulation of electronic structure are important for the development of renewable hydrogen energy.Herein,MnS_(2)/MnO_(2)-CC heterostructure dual-functional catalysts with ultrathin nanosheets were prepared by a twostep electrodeposition method for efficient acidic hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) and degradation of organic wastewater(such as methylene blue(MB)).The electronic structure of Mn atoms at the MnS_(2)/MnO_(2)-CC heterostructure interface is reconfigured under the joint action of S and O atoms.Theoretical calculations show that the Mn d-band electron distribution in MnS_(2)/MnO_(2)-CC catalyst has higher occupied states near the Fermi level compared to the MnO_(2) and MnS_(2) catalysts,which indicates that MnS_(2)/MnO_(2)-CC catalyst has better electron transfer capability and catalytic activity.The MnS_(2)/MnO_(2)-CC catalysts require overpotential of only 66 and 116 mV to reach current density of 10 and 100 mA cm^(-2)in MB/H_(2)SO_(4) media.The MnS_(2)/MnO_(2)-CC catalyst also has a low Tafel slope(26.72 mV dec^(-1)) and excellent stability(the performance does not decay after 20 h of testing).In addition,the MB removal efficiency of the MnS_(2)/MnO_(2)-CC catalyst with a better kinetic rate(0.0226) can reach 97.76%,which is much higher than that of the MnO_(x)-CC catalyst(72.10%).This strategy provides a new way to develop efficient and stable non-precious metal dual-functional electrocatalysts for HER and organic wastewater degradation.

Biodegradation kinetic of organic compounds of acrylic fiber wastewater in biofilm

A group function relation curve between flux(J) and bulk phase concentration of substrate(S) was set up. The biodegradation kinetic of organic compounds of acrylic fiber wastewater in biofilm is studied(the treatment technology is coagulation/sedimentation-anoxic/aerobic biofilm process), and the results showed that the concentration of non-degradation pollutants in effluent is 77 mg/L. In aerobic zone, the half-rate constant is 72.84 mg/L, the maximum removal rate of organic compounds at unit area filler is very low, 0.089 g/(m 2·d), which corresponds to the fact that there are some biorefractory compounds in the wastewater.

Organobentonites as adsorbents for some organic pollutants and its application in wastewater treatment

Two organobentonites were synthesized by placing quaternary ammonium cationscetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMAB) and cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) on bentonite bycation exchange. Their ability to adsorb phenol, aniline. nitrobenzene and p-nitrophenol were examined.The optimal conditions for organobentonites to remove the organic pollutants from waterwere studied. The removal rates for organobentonites to treat the organic compounds in water werefound to be over 8 times for the original mineral (untreated bentonite).The removal rates of organic pollutants and COD of wastewater were further improved by organobentonites in the presence of aluminum sulfate. The structure of organobentonites and the mechanism for their adsorption were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, infrared spectra and BET surface area.

Investigation on removing recalcitrant toxic organic polluters in coking wastewater by forward osmosis

Investigation was made on the efficiency of two commercial membranes in removing via forward osmosis(FO)the low molecular weight organic compounds typical of coking wastewater. The membranes were supplied by Poten and HTI companies. The organics in the simulated coking water were indole and pyrridine. Under FO mode, the rejection to the organics by Poten membrane was around 50%, whereas that for HTI membrane was obviously higher, ranging from 65% to 74%. The response of the two membranes in terms of Water flux and reverse salt flux(RSF) towards changing feed/draw solution(DS) flow rates in FO mode showed similar tendency,but different degree. Generally, the flux in FO using HTI membranes was lower. For HTI membrane, FO operated with pressure retarded osmosis(PRO) mode was also performed and the overall rejection of the organics was slightly lower than that in FO mode. In the long term FO test within 15 days, both Poten and HTI membranes displayed flux reduction and rejection enhancement. But the variation with Poten membrane was much more obvious. Discussion was carried out about the reasons and the mechanisms behind the FO performance difference between two membranes and the variation in flux and rejection with operation conditions. Characterizations by SEM, FTIR, AFM, XRD and XPS were tried to support the proposed explanations.

Photocatalytic Removal of Organic Pollutants from Industrial Wastewater Using TiO₂Catalyst

Degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater was investigated by photocatalysis method using anatase modification of titanium-dioxide (TiO2) catalyst with different structures. Laboratory experiments were carried out with industrial wastewaters consisting of different contents of organic pollutants. Two types of TiO2 catalyst: TiO2 having a size near to nanoparticles (about 3 - 4 micron in size) and the nanostructured 15 nm sized TiO2 were used to find optimum conditions of photocatalytic degradation and removal of organic compounds from wastewater. This paper discusses the effect of various parameters on the degradation rate including the catalyst concentration, process duration as well as the catalytic effectiveness of the TiO2 particles’ size. In addition, the effect of UV and visible light sources on the degradation process was studied. The process performed with nanostructured TiO2 catalyst under visible light was very successfully allowing best degradation of organic compounds.

Decomposition of Organic Compounds in Coke Plant Wastewater by Ultrasonic Irradiation and Its Combined Process

The paper deals with the degradation of the organic compounds in the coke plant wastewater by the combined process of ultrasonic irradiation and activated sludge. The influence factors of the ultrasonic degradation effect such as air atmosphere, initial concentration, ultrasonic power density and the category and consumption of catalyst were investigated. A water quality model was used to explain the degradation of different kinds of organic compounds in the coke plant wastewater by ultrasonic irradiation. After the wastewater was treated by the combined process of ultrasonic irradiation and activated sludge, the COD degradation efficiency was 95.74%, which is 63.49% higher than that by the process of activated sludge alone.

Development of an evaporation crystallizer for desalination of alkaline organic wastewater before incineration

A wastewater evaporation-desalination pretreatment method was introduced to remove the Na+ and K+ salts in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) wastewater before it was fed into the incinerator. VOCs in the wastewater were volatilized in the evaporation system and then the vapor was combusted in an incinerator. Simulated phenol wastewater containing sodium chloride was evaporated and concentrated and sodium chloride was crystallized in different parameters. The experimental results showed that the higher initial concentration of sodium chloride increases the ratio of volatilization of VOCs, which was due to the effect of “salting out” (a decrease in the solubility of the nonelectrolyte in the solution, or more rigorously, an increase in its activity coef-ficient, caused by the salt addition (Furter and Cook, 1967)). When evaporation speed was increased from 1.67 ml/min to 2.73 ml/min, the total removal coefficient of sodium chloride was about 99.88%～99.99%. This pretreatment procedure eliminates the slag phenomenon caused by Na+ and K+ salts during wastewater incineration, so the incinerator could operate continuously, and the wastewater evaporation could increase the heat value of wastewater, and the operation cost would be reduced.

Treated results study on organic substance and ammonia from coke plant wastewater by SBR method in different operating mode and aeration time conditions

In this paper, a research was made on the treatment of distillation ammonia wastewater from Tai'an Coke-Plant by SBR(sequencing batch reactors). The feasibility and cost effectiveness was tested. Performance of SBR process treating organic substance and ammonia was presented for different operating pattern and aeration time. The mechanism of the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification from coke plant were analysed on SBR process.

LPWCO method for the treatment of high concentrated organic wastewater

Based on wet air oxidation (WAO) and Fenton reagent, this paper raised a new low pressure wet catalytic oxidation (LPWCO) which requires low pressure for the treatment of highly concentrated and refractory organic wastewater. Compared with general wet air oxidation, the pressure of the treatment(0 1—0 6MPa) is only one of tens to percentage of latter (3 5—10MPa). In addition, its temperature is no more than 180℃. Compared with Fenton reagent, while H 2O 2/COD(weight ratio) is less than 1 2, the removal of COD in the treatment is over twenty percents more than Fenton's even the value of COD is more than 14000mg/L. In this paper, the effect factor of COD removal and the mechanism of this treatment were studied. The existence of synergistic effect (catalytic oxidation and carbonization) for COD removal in H 2SO 4 Fenton reagent system under the condition of applied pressure and heating (0 1—0 6MPa, 104—165℃) was verified. The best condition of this disposal are as follows: H 2O 2/COD (weight ratio)=0 2—1 0, Fe 2+ 0 6×10 -3 mol, H 2SO 4 0 5mol, COD>1×10 4mg/L, the operating pressure is 0 1—0 6MPa and temperature is 104—165℃. This method suits to dispose the high concentrated refractory wastewater, especially to the wastewater containing H 2SO 4 produced in the manufacture of pesticide, dyestuff and petrochemical works.

Comparison of zinc complexation properties of dissolved organic matter from surface waters and wastewater treatment plant effluents

Unlike natural organic matter(NOM), wastewater organic matter(WWOM) from wastewater treatment plant effluents has not been extensively studied with respect to complexation reactions with heavy metals such as copper or zinc. In this study, organic matter from surface waters and a wastewater treatment plant effluent were concentrated by reverse osmosis(RO) method. The samples were treated in the laboratory to remove trace metals and major cations. The zinc complexing properties of both NOM and the WWOM were studied by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry(SWASV). Experimental data were compared to predictions using the Windermere Humic Aqueous Model(WHAM) Version VI. We found that the zinc binding of WWOM was much stronger than that of NOM and not well predicted by WHAM. This suggests that in natural water bodies that receive wastewater treatment plant effluents the ratio of WWOM to NOM must be taken into account in order to accurately predict free zinc activities.

Seasonal Variation and Removal of Organic Pollutants in Wastewater Using Low-Cost Treatment Technologies in Tamale Metropolis, Ghana

The use of wastewater as alternative source of water for vegetable crop irrigation has become an eminent component of urban agriculture due to current global water crises in most developing countries, and admits the increasing effects of global climate change. The practise is however noted to be associated with significant health and environment risk due to excessive pollutant load. The study assessed the level of seasonal variation and removal of organic pollutants in wastewater using gravel filters combined with stabilisation ponds at Zagyuri in the Tamale Metropolis. The yard scale experiment consisted of cylindrical containers of different length filled with six different sizes of filter media and connected to stabilisation ponds where wastewater is allowed to pass through for filtration and stabilisation. The results indicated that for both seasons, the average concentration of BOD released into the stream at Zagyuri was 92.98 mg/l and 103.54 mg/l for the dry and wet season respectively whilst the COD was averaged 132.78 mg/l and 143.75 mg/l for the dry and wet seasons respectively. The results of the simple linear regression revealed a strong positive linear relationship between BOD and COD with coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.873 which was statistically highly significantly at Pr value of <0.0001. The results for ANOVA for the treatment factor were statistically highly significant at Pr values of 0.0011 and <0.0001 respectively for BOD5 and COD. The average concentration of BOD was higher than the Ghana EPA recommended levels while that of COD was lower and thus within safety range for discharge into the environment.

Clogging Process Caused by Organic Particle Accumulation and Biofilm Growth in Subsurface Wastewater Infiltration System

Substrate clogging is the worst operational problem for subsurface wastewater infiltration system (SWIS), nevertheless quantitative understanding of the clogging process is currently very limited. In this study, the developing process of clogging caused by organic particle accumulation and biofilm growth was investigated in two groups of lab-scale SWIS, which were fed with glucose (dissolved organic matter) and starch (particulate organic matter) influent and filled with the same substrate made of 50% brown soil and cinder at a weight of 50%. Results showed that in glucose-fed systems the growth of biofilm in the substrate pores certainly caused remarkable reduction of effective porosity, especially for the high concentration organic wastewater, whereas its influence on infiltration rate was negligible. In comparison with biofilm growth, organic particles accumulation could rapidly reduce infiltration rate and the clogging occurred in the upper layer in starch-fed systems and the most important contribution of biofilm growth to clogging was accelerating the occurrence of clogging.

Use of Natural Coagulants in Removing Organic Matter, Turbidity and Fecal Bacteria from Hospital Wastewater by Coagulation-Flocculation Process

Hospital wastewater represents an infectious and toxic risk to human health and the environment due to its contents. Most hospitals in developing countries, including Benin, do not have a wastewater treatment plant. In this study, the wastewater from two hospitals in northern Benin was characterized and then treated with Azadirachta indica leaves, Moringa oleifera and Luffa cylindrica seeds by coagulation/flocculation process. The wastewater characteristics showed that the collected samples are greatly polluted by organic matter and fecal bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Enterococcus fecal and Total coliforms. Jar-test results revealed that 95.74%, 78%, 49.19% of turbidity, 51.35%, 38.32%, 22.19% of COD, 93.16%, 85.26%, 83.30% against Escherichia coli, 92.11%, 90.93%, 94.60% against total Coliforms and 99.37%, 91%, 99%, 55.07% against Enterococcus were removed from hospital wastewater using Moringa oleifera, Luffa cylindrica seed and Azadirachta indica leaves respectively at dose of 100 mg/L. The results highlighted that the natural coagulants could be successfully used for the removal of turbidity and fecal bacteria from hospital wastewater.

Study on Treatment Technologies of High Concentrations of Industrial Organic Wastewater

The characteristics and harm of high concentrations of organic wastewater were introducecl firstly, and then several treatment processes and effects of high concentrations of organic wastewater were summarized, which can provide theoretical references for the choice of wastewater treatment process.

Microbial Changes in the Fluorescence Character of Natural Organic Matter from a Wastewater Source

Natural Organic Matter (NOM) is a mixture of aromatic and aliphatic organic compounds of natural origin in any type of aquatic system. Human activities impact the constituents of NOM, from its production to its fate, particularly in the treatment of domestic waste waters. In this work, the impact of microorganisms isolated from a Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) was investigated to determine the fate of NOM fractions in raw sewage, using fluorescence spectroscopy. Wastewater samples were taken at three different times from a WWTP, and incubated for 4 days under two treatments: 1) “raw sewage”, and 2) “spiked”, i.e., the same raw sewage, spiked with bacteria previously isolated from the WWTP. The incubated waters were analyzed by fluorescence spectroscopy, digitally resolved into NOM components: humic- and fulvic-like, and two types of protein-like, i.e., tryptophan- and tyrosine-like, using a Parallel Factor Analysis routine (PARAFAC). The results demonstrate that the “spiked” samples showed the largest changes with incubation time. The signals of the tryptophan- and tyrosine-like components decreased, suggesting a net microbial digestion of proteinaceous material. In contrast, the fulvic-like signals, and to some extent, the humic-like signals increased, suggesting the production of the associated molecular materials during the incubation period. This study provides direct evidence of human impact on the make-up of NOM: the cultures of microbes found at a WWTP consume the proteinaceous material, whereas humic-like and fulvic-like materials are produced.

Determination of hydroxyl radical in organic wastewater treatment by electrochemical oxidation

A method of detection hydroxyl radical (·OH) produced by electrochemical oxidation in organic wastewater treatment was developed. Benzoic acid with weak fluorescence may reacted with hydroxyl radical to produce 3-hydroxybenzonic acid with intense fluorescence, whose characteristic fluorescence excitation and emission wavelength were at 305 nm and 410 nm. The 3-hydroxybenzonic acid was separated from electrochemical oxidation system by HPLC. Two major hydroxylated products were quantified corresponding to 3-hydroxybenzonic, 4-hydroxybenzonic acid. Therefore the quantity of hydroxyl radical in the reactive system should be primarily calculated. The optimal experimental program was obtained by studying the determination conditions, which were benzoic acid of 1.0 mmol/L, electrolysis time of 60 min, current density of 39 mA/cm2, supporting electrolyte (Na2SO4) of 0.02 mol/L, and the low rate of sparged-air of 25 mL/s. The results show that this method is stable, simple and rapid and can be used as a convenient method for the determination of hydroxyl radical.

Development of Combined Biological Technology for Treatment of High-strength Organic Wastewater and Results of Case Studies

Our study group has developed a unique combined biological technology to treat high-strength organic wastewaters from the industries of dyestuff, pharmaceutical, chemical engineering and zymolysis by using the principles of anaerobic ecological niche and bio-phase separation. The study obtained five national invention patents and eight patent equipments. This technology contains four kernel processes-two-phase anaerobic-aerobic process, hydrolysis-acidification-oxidation process, UASBAF-oxidation process, and internal cycling-hydrolysis-oxidation process. Fifteen pilot projects were accomplished in the basins of Tai Lake, Huai River, Liao River and Songhua River, and their total capital investment reached 185.214 million Yuan (RMB). Compared to conventional wastewater treatment technology, the innovative technology is more cost-effective for high-strength organic wastewater treatment, can save capital investment by 15%-30%, lessen land usage by 20% to 40% and decrease the operating cost by 10% to 25%. The operating cost of treatment per cubic meter industrial wastewater could be below 0.6 to 1.4 Yuan (RMB).