Removal of nutrients from pulp and paper biorefinery effluent: Operation, kinetic modelling and optimization by response surface methodology

Ahmad Hussaini Jagaba; Shamsul Rahman Mohamed Kutty; Mu Naushad; Ibrahim Mohammed Lawal; Azmatullah Noor; Augustine Chioma Affam; Abdullahi Haruna Birniwa; Sule Abubakar; Usman Bala Soja; Kunmi Joshua Abioye; Chinna Bathula

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.114091

Removal of nutrients from pulp and paper biorefinery effluent: Operation, kinetic modelling and optimization by response surface methodology

Environ Res. 2022 Nov;214(Pt 4):114091. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114091. Epub 2022 Aug 27.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, 32610, Malaysia; Department of Civil Engineering, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria. Electronic address: ahmad_19001511@utp.edu.my.
² Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, 32610, Malaysia.
³ Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
⁵ Civil Engineering Department, School of Engineering and Technology, University of Technology Sarawak, Persiaran Brooke, Sibu, Sarawak, 96000, Malaysia; Centre of Research for Innovation and Sustainable Development (CRISD), University of Technology Sarawak, Sibu, Malaysia.
⁶ Department of Chemistry, Sule Lamido University, PMB 048 Kafin-Hausa, Nigeria.
⁷ Department of Civil Engineering, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria.
⁸ Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Dutsin-Ma P.M.B., Katsina State, 5001, Nigeria.
⁹ Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, 32610, Malaysia.
¹⁰ Division of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Dongguk University-Seoul, Seoul, 04620, Republic of Korea.

PMID: 36041538
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114091

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of extended aeration system (EAS) and rice straw activated carbon-extended aeration system (RAC-EAS) in the treatment of pulp and paper biorefinery effluent (PPBE). RAC-EAS focused on the efficient utilization of lignocellulosic biomass waste (rice straw) as a biosorbent in the treatment process. The experiment was designed by response surface methodology (RSM) and conducted using a bioreactor that operated at 1-3 days hydraulic retention times (HRT) with PPBE concentrations at 20, 60 and 100%. The bioreactor was fed with real PPBE having initial ammonia-N and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations that varied between 11.74 and 59.02 mg/L and 31-161 mg/L, respectively. Findings from the optimized approach by RSM indicated 84.51% and 91.71% ammonia-N and 77.62% and 84.64% total phosphorus reduction in concentration for EAS and RAC-EAS, respectively, with high nitrification rate observed in both bioreactors. Kinetic model optimization indicated that modified stover models was the best suited and were statistically significant (R² ≥ 0.98) in the analysis of substrate removal rates for ammonia-N and total phosphorus. Maximum nutrients elimination was attained at 60% PPBE and 48 h HRT. Therefore, the model can be utilized in the design and optimization of EAS and RAC-EAS systems and consequently in the prediction of bioreactor behavior.

Keywords: Ammonia; Extended aeration activated sludge; Pulp and paper biorefinery effluent; Response surface methodology; Rice straw; Total phosphorus.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Ammonia*
Bioreactors*
Nitrification
Nitrogen
Nutrients
Phosphorus
Sewage
Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods
Wastewater

Substances

Sewage
Waste Water
Phosphorus
Ammonia
Nitrogen