Abstract
The reverse osmosis (RO) brine generated from the Al-Quds University wastewater treatment plant was treated using an epuvalisation system. The advanced integrated wastewater treatment plant included an activated sludge unit, two consecutive ultrafiltration (UF) membrane filters (20 kD and 100 kD cutoffs) followed by an activated carbon filter and a reverse osmosis membrane. The epuvalisation system consisted of salt tolerant plants grown in hydroponic channels under continuous water flowing in a closed loop system, and placed in a greenhouse at Al-Quds University. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) plants were selected, and underwent two consecutive hydroponic flowing stages using different brine-concentrations: an adaptation stage, in which a 1:1 mixture of brine and fresh water was used; followed by a functioning stage, with 100% brine. A control treatment using fresh water was included as well. The experiment started in April and ended in June (2012). At the end of the experiment, analysis of the effluent brine showed a remarkable decrease of electroconductivity (EC), PO43−, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and K+ with a reduction of 60%, 74%, 70%, and 60%, respectively, as compared to the influent. The effluent of the control treatment showed 50%, 63%, 46%, and 90% reduction for the same parameters as compared to the influent. Plant growth parameters (plant height, fresh and dry weight) showed no significant difference between fresh water and brine treatments. Obtained results suggest that the epuvalisation system is a promising technique for inland brine treatment with added benefits. The increasing of channel number or closed loop time is estimated for enhancing the treatment process and increasing the nutrient uptake. Nevertheless, the epuvalisation technique is considered to be simple, efficient and low cost for inland RO brine treatment.
Highlights
IntroductionThe scarcity of freshwater in most countries of arid and semi-arid regions is an escalating problem, as their populations continue to grow with constant enhancement of their living standards.Water claim is accelerating due to industrial development and increasing demands of irrigated lands [1,2]
The scarcity of freshwater in most countries of arid and semi-arid regions is an escalating problem, as their populations continue to grow with constant enhancement of their living standards.Water claim is accelerating due to industrial development and increasing demands of irrigated lands [1,2]
Brine was rich in all major ions and its EC value was almost doubled in comparison to wastewater (Table 2)
Summary
The scarcity of freshwater in most countries of arid and semi-arid regions is an escalating problem, as their populations continue to grow with constant enhancement of their living standards.Water claim is accelerating due to industrial development and increasing demands of irrigated lands [1,2]. The scarcity of freshwater in most countries of arid and semi-arid regions is an escalating problem, as their populations continue to grow with constant enhancement of their living standards. One of the alternative solutions for water scarcity is the use of treated wastewater in agriculture, which simultaneously avoids the negative impact of wastewater disposal in the environment. The reuse of treated domestic wastewater in agriculture has recently expanded and forced some governments for its inclusion in their overall water budget [3,4]. Wastewater treatment technology ranges from traditional low cost treatment to advanced technologies [5]. Advanced wastewater treatment technologies are based on combined processes of biological, chemical and mechanical, which include membrane techniques and disinfection. Advanced membrane technologies consist of microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO)
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