Size distribution of wastewater COD fractions as an index for biodegradability

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) Vol. 40; no. 2; pp. 273 - 282
• Main Authors: Dulekgurgen, Ebru, Doğruel, Serdar, Karahan, Özlem, Orhon, Derin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; biodegradation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Biological treatment; Biological treatment of waters; Biotechnology; chemical oxygen demand; COD fractionation; color; Domestic wastewater; Environment and pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Filtration; fractionation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General purification processes; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Oxygen - chemistry; Particle Size; Particle size distribution; pollutants; Pollution; Respirometry; Textile Industry; textile mill effluents; Textile wastewaters; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; wastewater; wastewater treatment; Wastewaters; Water treatment and pollution; Turkey (country); Particle size distribution; Textile wastewaters; Biological treatment; Domestic wastewater; Respirometry; COD fractionation; Domestic waste water; Biodegradability; Chemical oxygen demand; Industrial waste water; Waste water purification; Performance; Biological treatment COD fractionation Domestic wastewater Particle size distribution Respirometry Textile wastewaters; Indicator; Textile industry; Biological purification
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2005.10.032

The study proposes direct particle size measurement by sequential filtration and ultrafiltration as a convenient method for wastewater characterization for appropriate treatment technology. It also explores the correlation between particle size distribution (PSD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) fractionation, as an index for biological treatability. Profiles obtained through PSD-based COD fractionation serve as the fingerprints for wastewaters, and as demonstrated in this study, reflect different pictures for textile wastewater and domestic sewage. PSD-based COD fractionation profiles identify the soluble range below 2
nm as the size interval housing both the soluble inert COD initially present in the wastewater and soluble inert microbial products generated during biological treatment, as also supported by the metabolic fractionation attained through respirometric analyses. Moreover, PSD-based color profiling offers a good index for the fate of biologically resistant chemicals passing through biological treatment. Compatible results obtained from comparative evaluation of PSD-based COD and color profiles provide useful information on the biodegradability of the textile wastewater studied.