High-Strength, Chemical Industry Wastewater Treatment Feasibility Study for Energy Recovery

Riccardo Tinivella, Riccardo Bargiggia, Giampiero Zanoni, Arianna Callegari and Andrea G. Capodaglio ()
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Riccardo Tinivella: Department of Civil Engineering & Architecture, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Riccardo Bargiggia: SODAI S.p.A., 20147 Milano, Italy
Giampiero Zanoni: SODAI S.p.A., 20147 Milano, Italy
Arianna Callegari: Department of Civil Engineering & Architecture, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Andrea G. Capodaglio: Department of Civil Engineering & Architecture, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 23, 1-23

Abstract: This paper presents an experimental study on the treatment of industrial chemical wastewater with a high organic load; it is aimed at process cost optimization and possible energy and resources recovery. The facility generates five separate streams of liquid waste, which range in organic strength from practically nil to 400,000 mg/L, with individual flows ranging from 2 to 1400 m 3 /d. The combined strength and the flow of all the streams are approximately 1500 mg/L COD and 1500 m 3 /d, respectively; however, excluding the cleaner one (the cooling and condensation water), the maximum average COD concentration rises to 115,000 mg/L, at a flow of 16 m 3 /d. These wastes are currently trucked away for external processing, at a high cost. The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of the onsite treatment of the facility’s waste streams with energy recovery and water reuse. Various approaches were examined, including anaerobic treatment for biogas recovery. The preliminary characterization, however, showed strong inhibition toward anaerobic biomass, and in particular to methanogenesis, induced by some waste components. Further testing led to the conclusion that stream segregation and separate processing could represent the most efficient approach for the management of the facility’s liquid discharges and the optimization of resources recovery. A final solution that maximizes treatment efficiency and resources reuse by combining separate aerobic and anaerobic treatment is proposed.

Keywords: chemical wastewater; refractory compounds; energy recovery; UASB; methane recovery; aerobic treatment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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