THE REMOVAL INVESTIGATION OF NONYLPHENOL ETOXILAT SURFACTANTS IN ACTIVATED SLUDGE SYSTEMS

Abstract

The most significant source of environmental pollution derived from perilous wastes is the circumstantial and intentional emancipation of specific industrial wastes in cluding resistant and/or toxic pollutants to natural environments. Although, biological treatment methods have been commonly found as most effective alternatives in the removal of persistent compounds in industrial wastewaters, they require some increase for obtaining acceptable removal efficiencies, due to the presence of refractory or toxic compounds in the wastewaters. In this study, the use of surfactant of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE) in the removal of persistent organic pollutants by biological treatment processes was investigated as an enhancement technique. The application of surfactants can enhance soil and groundwater remediation by increasing contaminant locomotion and solubility to ameliorate the performance of practical conventional remediation technology and by barricading the departure of contaminants to speed the rate of biodegradation of contaminants in environment. The proven effectiveness of surfactants in soil and groundwater remediation has been considered reasonable to expect that surfactants can also enhance the removal of persistent organic pollutants in wastewaters. Different concentrations of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE) (1000, 1500, 2000 ppm) were tested to optimize biosurfactant-enhanced degradation of persistent pollutants in wastewaters. The results of this study demonstrate that the biodegradation of persistent organic pollutants in wastewaters is elevated by the use of biosurfactants. The principal mechanism that raises the biodegradation is the augment solvability of poorly soluble compounds in the wastewater. According to the results of this study, it can be anticipated that biosurfactant-enhanced degradation would result in faster and more complete degradation.