Coagulation-flocculation sequential with Fenton or Photo-Fenton processes as an alternative for the industrial textile wastewater treatment

In this study, the industrial textile wastewater was treated using a chemical-based technique (coagulation-flocculation, C-F) sequential with an advanced oxidation process (AOP: Fenton or Photo-Fenton). During the C-F, Al-2(SO4)(3) was used as coagulant and its optimal dose was determined using the jar test. The following operational conditions of C-F, maximizing the organic matter removal, were determined: 700 mg/L of Al-2(SO4)(3) at pH = 9.96. Thus, the C-F allowed to remove 98% of turbidity, 48% of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and let to increase in the BOD5/COD ratio from 0.137 to 0.212. Subsequently, the C-F effluent was treated using each of AOPs. Their performances were optimized by the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) coupled with a Box-Behnken experimental design (BBD). The following optimal conditions of both Fenton (Fe2+/H2O2) and Photo-Fenton (Fe2+/H2O2/UV) processes were found: Fe2+ concentration = 1 mM, H2O2 dose = 2 mL/L (19.6 mM), and pH = 3. The combination of C-F pretreatment with the Fenton reagent, at optimized conditions, let to remove 74% of COD during 90 min of the process. The C-F sequential with Photo-Fenton process let to reach 87% of COD removal, in the same time. Moreover, the BOD5/COD ratio increased from 0.212 to 0.68 and from 0.212 to 0.74 using Fenton and Photo-Fenton processes, respectively. Thus, the enhancement of biodegradability with the physico-chemical treatment was proved. The depletion of H2O2 was monitored during kinetic study. Strategies for improving the reaction efficiency, based on the H2O2 evolution, were also tested. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.