Removal of petroleum hydrocarbons from wastewater using photolysis- moving bed biofilm reactor hybrid system

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
M. G. Rahimi 1
B. Ayati 1
R. D. Webster 2
1 Department of Civil Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University
2 Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University
10.22034/jaert.1.3.25
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of both single and hybrid systems, incorporating UV photolysis and a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR), for treating synthetic wastewater contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. Petroleum hydrocarbons pose significant environmental threats due to their high toxicity, stability, accumulation potential, and resistance to biodegradation. In the hybrid system, the wastewater underwent chemical treatment first and then was introduced into the biological reactor. For the photolysis system, we explored the impacts of different concentrations and various radiation powers of UV-C lamps. Optimal conditions were determined to be a Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of 350 mg/L and a radiation power of 80 W. In the MBBR system, various concentrations were introduced into the reactor, achieving a maximum removal efficiency of 85% for an initial COD of 1000 mg/L over 72 hours with a 50% filling capacity. In the hybrid system, we achieved a remarkable hydrocarbon removal efficiency of 99% after 123 hours. Although the operational time of the hybrid system was relatively long, it demonstrated itself as a suitable treatment process compared to other conventional methods for removing these challenging, hard-to-biodegrade compounds.

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Journal of Advanced Environmental Research and Technology
Volume 1, Issue 3 - Serial Number 3
September 2023
Pages 25-34