Design of Bio-Absorbent Systems for the Removal of Hydrocarbons from Industrial Wastewater: Pilot-Plant Scale
The objective of this study was the development and design of a treatment system at a pilot-plant scale for the remediation of hydrocarbons in industrial wastewater. The treatment consists of a combined approach of absorption and biodegradation to obtain treated water with sufficient quality to be r...
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doaj-b5ed6b449128414fad5fae1f4082e6122021-07-23T14:09:45ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042021-07-01916216210.3390/toxics9070162Design of Bio-Absorbent Systems for the Removal of Hydrocarbons from Industrial Wastewater: Pilot-Plant ScaleGloria Andrea Silva-Castro0Alfonso Rodríguez-Calvo1Tatiana Robledo-Mahón2Elisabet Aranda3Jesús González-López4Concepción Calvo5Institute of Water Research, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainInstitute of Water Research, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainInstitute of Water Research, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainInstitute of Water Research, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainInstitute of Water Research, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainInstitute of Water Research, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainThe objective of this study was the development and design of a treatment system at a pilot-plant scale for the remediation of hydrocarbons in industrial wastewater. The treatment consists of a combined approach of absorption and biodegradation to obtain treated water with sufficient quality to be reused in fire defense systems (FDSs). The plant consists of four vertical flow columns (bioreactors) made of stainless steel (ATEX Standard) with dimensions of 1.65 × 0.5 m and water volumes of 192.4 L. Each bioreactor includes a holder to contain the absorbent material (Pad Sentec polypropylene). The effectiveness of the treatment system has been studied in wastewater with high and low pollutant loads (concentrations higher than 60,000 mg L<sup>−1</sup> of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and lower than 500 mg L<sup>−1</sup> of TPHs, respectively). The pilot-plant design can function at two different flow rates, Q1 (180 L h<sup>−1</sup>) and Q2 (780 L h<sup>−1</sup>), with or without additional aeration. The results obtained for strongly polluted wastewaters showed that, at low flow rates, additional aeration enhanced hydrocarbon removal, while aeration was unnecessary at high flow rates. For wastewater with a low pollutant load, we selected a flow rate of 780 L h<sup>−1</sup> without aeration. Different recirculation times were also tested along with the application of a post-treatment lasting 7 days inside the bioreactor without recirculation. The microbial diversity studies showed similar populations of bacteria and fungi in the inlet and outlet wastewater. Likewise, high similarity indices were observed between the adhered and suspended biomass within the bioreactors. The results showed that the setup and optimization of the reactor represent a step forward in the application of bioremediation processes at an industrial/large scale.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/9/7/162hydrocarbonsbioremediationindustrial wastewaterpilot scalemicrobial diversitybiofilm |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Gloria Andrea Silva-Castro Alfonso Rodríguez-Calvo Tatiana Robledo-Mahón Elisabet Aranda Jesús González-López Concepción Calvo |
spellingShingle |
Gloria Andrea Silva-Castro Alfonso Rodríguez-Calvo Tatiana Robledo-Mahón Elisabet Aranda Jesús González-López Concepción Calvo Design of Bio-Absorbent Systems for the Removal of Hydrocarbons from Industrial Wastewater: Pilot-Plant Scale Toxics hydrocarbons bioremediation industrial wastewater pilot scale microbial diversity biofilm |
author_facet |
Gloria Andrea Silva-Castro Alfonso Rodríguez-Calvo Tatiana Robledo-Mahón Elisabet Aranda Jesús González-López Concepción Calvo |
author_sort |
Gloria Andrea Silva-Castro |
title |
Design of Bio-Absorbent Systems for the Removal of Hydrocarbons from Industrial Wastewater: Pilot-Plant Scale |
title_short |
Design of Bio-Absorbent Systems for the Removal of Hydrocarbons from Industrial Wastewater: Pilot-Plant Scale |
title_full |
Design of Bio-Absorbent Systems for the Removal of Hydrocarbons from Industrial Wastewater: Pilot-Plant Scale |
title_fullStr |
Design of Bio-Absorbent Systems for the Removal of Hydrocarbons from Industrial Wastewater: Pilot-Plant Scale |
title_full_unstemmed |
Design of Bio-Absorbent Systems for the Removal of Hydrocarbons from Industrial Wastewater: Pilot-Plant Scale |
title_sort |
design of bio-absorbent systems for the removal of hydrocarbons from industrial wastewater: pilot-plant scale |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Toxics |
issn |
2305-6304 |
publishDate |
2021-07-01 |
description |
The objective of this study was the development and design of a treatment system at a pilot-plant scale for the remediation of hydrocarbons in industrial wastewater. The treatment consists of a combined approach of absorption and biodegradation to obtain treated water with sufficient quality to be reused in fire defense systems (FDSs). The plant consists of four vertical flow columns (bioreactors) made of stainless steel (ATEX Standard) with dimensions of 1.65 × 0.5 m and water volumes of 192.4 L. Each bioreactor includes a holder to contain the absorbent material (Pad Sentec polypropylene). The effectiveness of the treatment system has been studied in wastewater with high and low pollutant loads (concentrations higher than 60,000 mg L<sup>−1</sup> of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and lower than 500 mg L<sup>−1</sup> of TPHs, respectively). The pilot-plant design can function at two different flow rates, Q1 (180 L h<sup>−1</sup>) and Q2 (780 L h<sup>−1</sup>), with or without additional aeration. The results obtained for strongly polluted wastewaters showed that, at low flow rates, additional aeration enhanced hydrocarbon removal, while aeration was unnecessary at high flow rates. For wastewater with a low pollutant load, we selected a flow rate of 780 L h<sup>−1</sup> without aeration. Different recirculation times were also tested along with the application of a post-treatment lasting 7 days inside the bioreactor without recirculation. The microbial diversity studies showed similar populations of bacteria and fungi in the inlet and outlet wastewater. Likewise, high similarity indices were observed between the adhered and suspended biomass within the bioreactors. The results showed that the setup and optimization of the reactor represent a step forward in the application of bioremediation processes at an industrial/large scale. |
topic |
hydrocarbons bioremediation industrial wastewater pilot scale microbial diversity biofilm |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/9/7/162 |
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