Comparison and Predesign Cost Assessment of Different Advanced Oxidation Processes for the Treatment of 1,4-Dioxane-Containing Wastewater from the Chemical Industry

The predesign cost analysis of the industrial implementation of several advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) as the pretreatment of 1,4-dioxane-containing wastewater from the chemical manufacturing industry is herein assessed and discussed. Aiming to maximize biodegradability and minimize the generation of residues, ozonation (O-3), conductive diamond electrochemical oxidation (CDEO), and zerovalent iron-based heterogeneous photo-Fenton processes were tested. Sufficient biodegradability (approximate to 60%) was reached by all the studied AOPs when the pretreatment was performed until obtaining a 40% removal of the chemical oxygen demand (COD). The design criteria consisted of reaching this 40% COD reduction in a unit with a treatment capacity of 43 800 m(3).y(-1). Considering the limitations inherent to this type of assessment, it resulted, from the analysis of capital investment and annual operational spending, that the cost of all the assessed AOPs was about 5 (sic).m(-3).