The Use of Coagulation-UV Irradiation/H2O2 and Electrocoagulation Methods on Pulp and Paper Mill Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

Effluents from pulp and paper mill typically consist of high loading of inorganics compounds (e.g., Na2CO3, Na2S, NaOH and NaCl) and organics compounds (e.g., lignin and polysaccharides fragments, alcohols, carboxylic acids) Several methods, such as biological, physical and chemical treatment, have been reported to degrade these molecules. However, coagulation is by far the cheapest, simplest and most common method employed for secondary wastewater treatment to reduce colour and organics. In this research, two most widely used methods were employed to treat a model wastewater of pulp and paper industry, namely a combination of coagulation-flocculation-UV irradiation/H2O2 and electrocoagulation (EC). In the application of coagulation-flocculation-UV irradiation/H2O2 method, the decrease in colour (measured as absorbance at 500 nm) was 71%, and the COD removal was measured to be 38% under the optimum conditions of pH 8, coagulant dose of 700 ppm, flocculant dose of 60 ppm, 130 rpm of coagulant stirring rate, 1 day irradiation time, and 25 mM of H2O2. For the EC method, 91% reduction of color and 84% reduction of COD were achieved at 40 min of electrolysis time, pH of 8, 600 ppm of NaCl concentration, electrode distance of 1.5 cm and 2 V of voltage. The EC method may serve as an efficient method for color and organics removals from pulp and paper mill wastewater.