Scale‐up Fenton process: study and optimization in piggery wastewater treatment

Abstract

AbstractBACKGROUNDIn the present study, the Fenton process was used as an effective method to treat several contaminants present in wastewaters. The case study is a pig farm located in the community of Loma de Zempoala, Guanajuato, Mexico, where the Fenton process in continuos flow assisted with sunlight was used to treat a real piggery wastewater.RESULTSFirst, an optimization of the operational parameters at laboratory scale was carried out by experimental design Taguchi L9. Experimental data showed the following degradation efficiencies: chemical oxygen demand (COD) = 95% ± 1.%; total organic carbon (TOC) = 53% ± 9%; Color = 99% ± 1%. To maximize the degradation of organic matter a Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed to define the following operational parameters: pH = 3, reaction time = 60 min, molar ratios hydrogen peroxide (H2O2):COD = 1.5 and H2O2:ferrous ion (Fe2+) = 1.5. As a second step, the scaling of the process in continuous flow was carried out, and the experimental data were adjusted appropriately to a kinetic model of pseudo‐first‐order, reaching a 98% degradation of organic matter at 250 min.CONCLUSIONIn this study, the Fenton process assisted with sunlight is faster than the traditional method because the incident light has a catalytic effect together with the ferric ion, improving the formation of hydroxyl radicals; as a consequence, the treated effluent presents the quality indicated by the Mexican environmental legislation. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI)