UV/H2O2 process performance improvement by ultrafiltration and physicochemical clarification systems for industrial effluent pretreatment

  • José Carlos Mierzwa Universidade de São Paulo
  • Eduardo Lucas Subtil Universidade de São Paulo
  • Ivanildo Hespanhol Universidade de São Paulo
Keywords: UV/H2O2, ultrafiltration, physicochemical process

Abstract

The present study evaluated the removal of TOC from an effluent with high organic load resulted from the treatment of oil-water emulsion by thermal process. Hollow Fiber Ultrafiltration membrane (HF-UF) and physicochemical clarification process were used as pretreatment options to assess the influence of feed effluent quality on the UV/H2O2 oxidation process. Results for TOC removals showed HF-UF and physicochemical clarification processes can significantly improve the efficiency of UV/H2O2 oxidation process, when compared with the direct effluent oxidation. Reaction time for obtaining a TOC removal higher than 90% was reduced to approximately half of the time needed when no pretreatment was applied. Considering both pretreatment processes it was not possible to notice any significant difference on the UV/H2O2 oxidation process performance. However, the complexity of physicochemical process due to the use of three different chemicals and sludge production made the HF-UF process the best pretreatment alternative, without increasing the Total Dissolved Solids of the effluent, a very important issue when water reuse is considered.

Author Biographies

José Carlos Mierzwa, Universidade de São Paulo
Departamento de Engenharia Hidráulica e Ambiental
Eduardo Lucas Subtil, Universidade de São Paulo
C
Ivanildo Hespanhol, Universidade de São Paulo
Centro Internacional de Referência em Reúso de Água (CIRRA), Departamento de Engenharia Hidráulica e Ambiental (PHA), Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo (EPUSP), São Paulo – SP
Published
23/12/2012
Section
Papers