Application of an Electron Accelerator for the Treatment of Wastewater from Textile Dyeing Industries

Textile dyeing processes consume a great amount of water and steam and discharge filthy and colored wastewater. Increased use of assorted dyes and other chemicals has increased the pace of re-equipping purification facilities by applying efficient methods based on radiation technology. Based on laboratory data, a pilot-scale e-beam plant was constructed at the Daegu Dyeing Industrial Complex (DDIC) in 1998. An electron accelerator, 40 kW at 1 MeV, was used for 1,000 m(3) per day. Continuous operation of this plant showed that the preliminary e-beam treatment reduced the bio-treatment time and resulted in significant decreases in the TOC (total organic carbon), COD(Cr) (Chemical Oxygen Demand as dichromate method), and BOD(5) (Biochemical Oxygen Demand in 5 days). Convinced of the economics and efficiency of the process, a commercial plant with a 400-kW electron accelerator was constructed in 2005. This plant improved the removal efficiency of wastewater by decreasing the retention time in a bio-treatment facility with a dose of approximately 1 kGy. This plant is located in the vicinity of an existing wastewater treatment facility in the DDIC, and the treatment capacity is 10,000 m(3) of wastewater per day.