Treatability Study of Car Wash Wastewater Using Upgraded Physical Technique with Sustainable Flocculant

Mai Fayed, M. A. Shewitah, R. R. Dupont, Mohamed Fayed and Mai M. Badr ()
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Mai Fayed: Sanitary Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Lotfy El-Sayed St., El-Shatby—Bab Sharq Department, Alexandria 21544, Egypt
M. A. Shewitah: Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Lotfy El-Sayed St., El-Shatby—Bab Sharq Department, Alexandria 21544, Egypt
R. R. Dupont: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utah Water Research Laboratory, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
Mohamed Fayed: College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, 54200 Egaila, Kuwait
Mai M. Badr: Environmental Chemistry and Biology, Department of Environmental Health, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, 165 El-Horreya Avenue, El-Ibrahimia, Alexandria 21561, Egypt

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-12

Abstract: Grease, oil, hydrocarbon residues, heavy metals, and surfactants are all present in car wash wastewater (CWW), which all can have detrimental effects on the environment and human health. This study was designed to assess CWW treatment using an upgraded physical technique combined with a range of conventional and more sustainable coagulants. Physical treatment effectively lowered the oil and grease (O&G) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the CWW by 79 ± 15% and 97 ± 1.6%, respectively. Additional treatment was provided using chemical coagulation–flocculation–settling. In jar test studies, humic acid (HA) and alum were found to provide significantly higher turbidity removal, 79.2 ± 3.1% and 69.8 ± 8.0%, respectively, than anionic polyacrylamide (APA), 7.9 ± 5.6% under influent turbidity values from 89 to 1000 NTU. Overall physical/chemical treatment of CWW yielded 97.3 ± 0.8% COD removal, and 99.2 ± 0.4% O&G removal using HA and alum. Due to the numerous problems created when using synthetic coagulants, naturally occurring coagulants that have no impact on human health, such as HA, are highly desirable options. The findings of this study show that treating CWW provides several advantages for sustainable development, health and well-being, and raising public knowledge and support for water reuse.

Keywords: car wash wastewater; baffled basin; humic acid; anionic polyacrylamide; alum; sustainable coagulant; water reuse (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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