Influence of COD in Toxic Industrial Wastewater from a Chemical Concern on Nitrification Efficiency

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Oct 29;19(21):14124. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192114124.

Abstract

COD is an arbitrary indicator of the content of organic and inorganic compounds in wastewater. The aim of this research was to determine the effect of COD of industrial wastewater on the nitrification process. This research covered wastewater from acrylonitrile and styrene-butadiene rubbers, emulsifiers, polyvinyl acetate, styrene, solvents (butyl acetate, ethyl acetate) and owipian® (self-extinguishing polystyrene intended for expansion) production. The volume of the analyzed wastewater reflected the active sludge load in the real biological treatment system. This research was carried out by the method of short-term tests. The nitrification process was inhibited to the greatest extent by wastewater from the production of acrylonitrile (approx. 51%) and styrene-butadiene (approx. 60%) rubbers. In these wastewaters, nitrification inhibition occurred due to the high COD load and the presence of inhibitors. Four-fold dilution of the samples resulted in a two-fold reduction in the inhibition of nitrification. On the other hand, in the wastewater from the production of emulsifiers and polyvinyl acetate, a two-fold reduction in COD (to the values of 226.4 mgO2·dm-3 and 329.8 mgO2·dm-3, respectively) resulted in a significant decrease in nitrification inhibition. Wastewater from the production of styrene, solvents (butyl acetate, ethyl acetate) and owipian® inhibited nitrification under the influence of strong inhibitors. Lowering the COD value of these wastewaters did not significantly reduce the inhibition of nitrification.

Keywords: activated sludge nitrifiers; chemical wastewater; inhibition of nitrification.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acrylonitrile*
  • Bioreactors
  • Butadienes
  • Magnesium Oxide
  • Nitrification*
  • Nitrogen / chemistry
  • Sewage / chemistry
  • Solvents
  • Styrenes
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods
  • Wastewater / chemistry

Substances

  • ethyl acetate
  • Waste Water
  • butyl acetate
  • polyvinyl acetate
  • Butadienes
  • Acrylonitrile
  • Magnesium Oxide
  • Nitrogen
  • Sewage
  • Styrenes
  • Solvents

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland and Faculty of Environmental Engineering, University of Agriculture in Krakow, through the project “Scientific subvention D014—Environmental Engineering, Mining and Energy”.