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Effect of selected textile effluents on activated sludge nitrification process
Andrea Giordano1, Selene Grilli, Loredana De Florio
1ENEA, Ente per le Nuove tecnologie l'Energia e l'Ambiente-PROT-IDR, Water Resource Management Section, Bologna, Italy. andrea.giordano@bologna.enea.it
Summary
A new method assessed textile effluent toxicity on nitrifying biomass, finding most effluents treatable. However, three effluents exhibited significant toxic effects, highlighting the need for this assessment to prevent wastewater treatment failures.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Wastewater Treatment
- Ecotoxicology
Background:
- Textile industry wastewater can contain inhibitory compounds affecting biological treatment processes.
- Nitrifying biomass is crucial for nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment plants.
- Assessing the toxicity of industrial effluents is essential for effective wastewater management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply a novel methodology for assessing the inhibitory effects of textile effluents on nitrifying biomass.
- To classify textile effluents based on their nitrification inhibition potential (EC50 values).
- To evaluate the treatability of textile effluents in conventional biological wastewater treatment systems.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a recently developed methodology to determine the EC50 (concentration producing 50% nitrification inhibition) for various textile effluents.
- Investigated a range of EC50 values, from 20 ml/gVSS to over 100 ml/gVSS.
- Conducted biodegradability and toxicity evaluations on the textile effluents.
Main Results:
- Textile effluents exhibited a wide spectrum of nitrification inhibition, with EC50 values varying significantly.
- Most effluents demonstrated good treatability in conventional biological wastewater treatment plants.
- Three specific textile effluents displayed substantial toxic effects on nitrifying biomass.
Conclusions:
- The proposed assessment procedure is an efficient tool for identifying potentially toxic textile effluents.
- This methodology can help prevent failures in biological wastewater treatment caused by toxic discharges.
- Effective management of textile wastewater requires understanding and mitigating its impact on nitrifying microorganisms.