A comparative study on paper recycling wastewater treatment using microwave irradiation and centrifuge technology

Abstract

In this study, the effect of MW irradiation on wastewater obtained from recycling office papers was evaluated. Wastewater samples were centrifuged in the MW oven for periods between 1.0 minutes and 15.0 minutes after MW irradiation. The effect of a centrifuge on the general appearance of wastewater samples was determined. There was no significant pH change depending on treatment conditions. MW irradiation affects electrical conductivity (EC) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). It was found to be in the range of 177 ppm for the sample (A1) centrifuged only for 1.0 min and 241 ppm for the MW irradiated and 15.0 min. It is significant to note that all wastewater samples were either centrifuged only (group A) or MW irradiated and then centrifuged (group B) and showed lower ORP values than the control. The highest ORP value of 309 mV was found in the control, but the lowest value of 251 mV was found for the MW irradiated sample (B1) centrifuged for 1.0 minutes. The lowest turbidity values were seen in control and MW irradiated samples with the longest centrifugation (15.0 min). 28 NTU was measured for samples centrifuged only (A15) at 15.0 min conditions and 10 NTU (B15) for MW irradiated and subsequently centrifuged samples. The highest turbidity reduction of 143 NTU was found in a sample under 1.0 min centrifugation. There is a positive relationship between turbidity reduction and centrifuge time, but paper recycling wastewater MW treatments further reduce the effects of turbidity values with less centrifuge time.