Toxicologie environnementale et analytique

Chemical Pre-Treatment of Anionic Surfactants Contaminated Waste Water at Enaspol A. S. using H2O2/UV Light Waste Water Pre-Treatment Method

Abstract

Banyaladzi D. Paphane and Lisset L.Z. Ramirez

Close to 50 % of anionic surfactants at Enaspol a. s., a chemical company with longtime tradition in research and production of surfactants, construction chemicals and textile auxiliaries, were removed from waste water using the Advanced Oxidation Method, H2O2/Ultra-Violet Radiation waste water pre-treatment method. The optimum concentration of hydrogen peroxide was found to be 1.0 g/L H2O2 in waste water. Above this concentration, the excess hydrogen peroxide reacts with other contaminants, such as elemental sulfur in the waste water producing complex oxidizable material. The optimum time to remove maximum amounts of surfactants (42.50 %) was found to be three hours. Beyond three hours the efficiency of this method is reduced. The reduction of chemical oxygen demand shows a rather interesting pattern; there was an increase in removal of COD from 0 to 1.0 g/L H2O2 in waste water and from 1.0 g/L H2O2 there was a decrease in the reduction efficiency of COD by this method in waste water. This shows that excess H2O2 is reacting with other non-organic species such as sulphur in waste water to produce extra oxidizable material which contribute to the COD value.