A novel technology was developed
for the treatment of a stainless
steel wastewater, which contains high nitrate concentration (6.8 g
N-NO3
–/L), acidic pH (pH 3.3), and high
concentration of metals. Denitrification was performed in an anaerobic
swirling fluidized-bed membrane bioreactor (ASFMBR) with synthetic
and real wastewater. The treatment concept was also integrated by
a precipitation column in which high recirculation of the alkalinity
produced from denitrification was introduced to drive the precipitation
and recovery of metals present in the wastewater. The novel reactor
configuration achieved high nitrate removal (>94%), and the acidic
pH was efficiently neutralized in the reactor by recycling the alkalinity
produced from denitrification. More than 40% of the metals present
in the industrial wastewater was recovered. Membrane fouling was avoided
by the hydrodynamic regime established in the ASFMBR. The treatment
concept is promising to achieve an efficient removal of nitrate and
recovery of metals from metallurgic wastewater.
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