Effects of Cu2+ on biological process of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in electroplating industrial park

Abstract

AbstractThe construction of industrial clusters in China increases the possibility of treating heavy metals containing wastewater by biological treatment process. Those heavy metals which entered wastewater treatment systems will have a toxic impact on the bacteria. The effects of 0–10 mg L−1 Cu2+ on the performance of an anoxic/oxic—membrane bioreactor (A/O-MBR) process, which simulated the wastewater treatment process in a local surface processing industrial park, in treating electroplating mixed wastewater were investigated in this research. Under the experimental conditions (simulated the real influent scenario), COD removal efficiency and nitrification efficiency of the process were obviously inhibited by 5 and 3 mg L−1 Cu2+, respectively, while were severely inhibited by 10 and 5 mg L−1 Cu2+, respectively. Above 1 mg L−1 of Cu2+ would put negative effects on the activities of both autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria, moreover, autotrophic bacteria were more sensitive to Cu2+ than heterotrophic ba...