The Effect of Concentration of Personal Care Pollutant in Domestic Wastewater on the Efficiency Removal of COD and Ammonium in Batch Reactor

Abstract

One of the dominant compound in a personal care product is sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). So in this study, SLS is used as a pollutant that might influence the anaerobic digestion treatment. The effect of SLS on the efficient removal of ammonium (NH4+) and COD can be investigated with anaerobic batch reactors. In these reactors, house septic tank sediments were contacted with artificial wastewater with ammonium concentration 30 mg NH4+−N/L and 300 mg/L COD concentration. Reactors are operated for 15 days with variations of SLS concentration 0, 5, 10, 50, 100 mg/L. The best COD removal efficiency and the rate is in the 5 mg SLS/L with the efficiency value of 99,6% and a reduced rate of 19,67 mg/L. The efficiency and rate of COD removal continue to decrease with increasing SLS concentrations. Meanwhile, the best ammonium (NH4+−N) removal efficiency and the rate is in the 0 mg SLS/L with an efficiency value of 73,32% and a reduced rate of 1,30 mg/L. The magnitude of the efficiency and removal rate of ammonium also decreases with increasing SLS concentration. Temperature and pH values for all reactors are in the range of 26-28°C. The pH values in the five reactors were relatively the same both without and with the addition of SLS concentrations.