Title: Treatment for woolscouring effluent through bioacidification by acidithiobacillus thiooxidans

Authors: Feng He, Lixiang Zhou

Addresses: College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China. ' College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China

Abstract: In this study, a promising process called bioacidification was used to remove organic pollutant from Woolscouring Effluent (WSE) by emulsion destabilisation. Chemostat experiments of bioacidification treatment inoculated with Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans were operated at high wastewater recycle ratios to achieve shorter Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT). Results exhibited high COD removal efficiency and gradual decrease in treatment time, and the recycle ratio of 4 was determined as the optimal choice due to the maximal treatment efficiency. After treatment with 36 h HRT, 42.6 g L⁻¹ COD (roughly 92% of total COD) was removed, suggesting that this process could be applied in full scale and incorporated into an overall treatment package.

Keywords: woolscouring effluent; bioacidification; wool; demulsification; recycle ratio; COD removal; acidithiobacillus thiooxidans; wastewater treatment; organic pollutants; emulsion destabilisation; chemical oxygen demand.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2010.031758

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2010 Vol.40 No.4, pp.391 - 401

Published online: 23 Feb 2010 *

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