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Characterization and environmental fate of haloorganics in biologically treated secondary-fiber mill wastewaters
Abstract
Chemical characteristics and environmental behavior of halogenated organic (OX) compounds in biologically treated wastewater from a secondary-fiber mill were investigated. Liquid-liquid extraction techniques were developed and optimized for the identification and quantification of OX compounds from this sample matrix. Twenty OX compounds were identified in the treated wastewaters, accounting for 20 to 60 percent of the total organic halide in the wastewater. A significant fraction of the OX in the treated wastewater was accounted for by one single compound: 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol, which persisted through biological treatment. Much of the the organic matter in the wastewater. Volatilization was identified as a prominent transport process that affected the fate of a small fraction of the identified OX compounds. Photolysis was the only environmental transformation process that could effectively reduce trichlorophenol concentrations within the time-scales studied at this site. A significant portion of the OX was relatively stable under typical environmental conditions, resulting in its persistence in the receiving water body. Conventional biological treatment was not effective in reducing OX concentrations in the wastewater. Advanced processes like chemically assisted secondary clarification (with alum and ferric chloride) and dechlorination (with sulfite) did not have a significant effect on OX removal. Ozone oxidation and alkaline hydrolysis reduced OX concentrations in the effluent by over 50 percent.
Subject Area
Civil engineering|Environmental science
Recommended Citation
Rajan, R. V, "Characterization and environmental fate of haloorganics in biologically treated secondary-fiber mill wastewaters" (1992). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9233138.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9233138