Combined electron-beam and biological treatment of dyeing complex wastewater. Pilot plant experiments

Pilot plant (output 1000m(3)day(-1)) with ELV electron accelerator (energy 1 MeV, beam power 40kW) is in operation from October 1998. Combined electron-beam and biological treatment was used for purification of dyeing complex wastewater under continuous flow conditions. The main results of pilot-scale experiments consisted in the fact that decrease in total content of pollutants after biological treatment was substantially influenced by preliminary electron-beam treatment (mainly, because of radiolytic conversions of terephthalic acid being a main pollutant of the wastewater). Equal purification degree corresponded to 17h of bio-treatment without preliminary irradiation and about 8h of bio-treatment with preliminary electron-beam treatment at absorbed dose 1-2kGy. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.