Rare earth real wastewater treatment by pilot scale using new concept continuous treatment process

Rare earth (RE) containing radioactive species and a variety of toxic pollutants The treatment of real wastewater is very important for environmental protection. In this study, a new concept of continuous process consisting of precipitation, adsorption, and oxidation was developed without the use of chemicals. In the sedimentation step, waste oyster shell(WOS) and a PE tube diffuser(PE250) containing Na₂S (PE_Ca/S), PE_Ca/S were prepared, which were used to precipitate heavy metals with a removal efficiency of 97% or more. In the adsorption step, fluorine (F), arsenic (As), and thorium (Th) were precipitated and removed when heavy metals were removed using coal mine drainage sludge (CMDS) and an adsorbent (PU_CMDS) made of polyurethane (PU). Running a semi and pilot scale continuous process using PE_Ca/S, PU_CMDS and O₃/HC systems resulted in a semi and pilot scale operating period of 120 and 62 days, and 60.26, 797.84, 46.94, 78.62 g, and 7.120 kg and 266.35, 42556.8, 191.95, 3108.43 g and 629.84 kg for As, F, Th, Pb and CODcr has been removed respectively. In addition, the removal efficiencies of As, F, Th, Pb and CODcr were 99.75, 99.98, 93.60, 99.99, and 88.82%, respectively, when treating real RE wastewater using the pilot scale system. Without the use of agitated reactors and regulators, the new concept of continuous process can effectively treat RE real wastewater, and the quality of the process outlet has met the pollutant limits recommended by EPA and China for irrigation.