Selecting among physical/chemical processes for removing synthetic organics from water

Abstract

ABSTRACT: A rational framework for selecting the least‐cost treatment technology for aqueous organic wastes was developed by using performance and cost models. The following three treatment options were evaluated for 15 different chemicals in this research: packed tower air stripping, packed tower air stripping followed by gas‐phase adsorption (granular activated carbon) of off‐gases, and liquid‐phase adsorption (granular activated carbon). The least‐cost air stripping tower design was found to change when off‐gas treatment was added. Air stripping without off‐gas treatment was determined to be less expensive than liquid‐phase adsorption in nearly every case. A methodology was created for comparing the relative costs of liquid‐phase adsorption and air stripping with gas‐phase adsorption. The comparison methodology is based upon physical parameters of the target chemical: Henry's constant and the solute distribution parameter. The result is a diagram for rapid identification of cases for which one treatment option is significantly less expensive than the other.