Removal of organic matter from pre-treated domestic sewage in anaerobic biological reactor by a combined system of electrolytic and biological aerobic treatment

Abstract Biological processes are the most widespread methods for wastewater treatment. However, they are limited in their ability to degrade toxic and refractory pollutants, contaminants that electrochemical processes can remove. Therefore, this research explored the possibility of treating sewage by an anaerobic biological process followed by an aerobic system integrated to an electrolytic process. Three sequential batch reactors were operated in an automated way. Each of three reactors represented a process: aerobic biological treatment (BR); electrolytic treatment (ER); and a combination of both, the bio electrolytic reactor (BER). Two phases were ran with different electrodes: (Phase 1) stainless steel and (Phase 2) graphite. The electric current was varied from 0.001 to 0.100 A. COD, TS, SS, turbidity, and the zooplankton community were monitored. The highest organic matter removal efficiencies were 86%, 79% and 87% for BR, ER and BER, respectively. The best weekly BER efficiencies for COD removal were 90% and 98%, with current densities of 0.27 A/m2 (Phase 1) and 0.05 A/m2 (Phase 2). The main conclusions about bio electrolytic process were: (1) it did not achieve organic matter removal high enough to justify its application; (2) inert electrodes are the more indicated; and (3) the zooplankton community was affected by the electric current.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Fonseca,Ariela Araujo, Ginoris,Yovanka Pérez, Gontijo,Norma Mendes Pinheiro, Souza,Marco Antonio Almeida de
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Instituto de Pesquisas Ambientais em Bacias Hidrográficas 2019
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-993X2019000400309
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!