COMBINED PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF REFINERY WASTEWATER

Petroleum refining industries are producing wastewater that contains hydrocarbons, phenol and dissolved minerals. These compounds result in environmental and health effects. In this study, actual petroleum refinery wastewater was treated using the Fenton process to improve its biodegradability for post treatment by a laboratory-scale Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR). Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied for optimization and data analysis of the Fenton process. The maximum biodegradability was achieved at the reaction time of 60 minutes and at a constant H2O2/COD molar ratio of 2 and H2O2/Fe2+ molar ratio of 5 to give 0.44 BOD5/COD with 79 and 77% COD and BOD removal efficiency, respectively. The results is considered acceptable and satisfied based on ANOVA analysis (P: <0.0001, R2:0.95, Adj. R2 : 0.91, AP: 16.479 and CV: 6.09). Preliminary performance of the SBR indicated wastewater load (food) to microorganisms ratio (F/M) of 0.1 was the most suitable ratio as the lowest COD concentration was achieved in the effluent

COMBINED PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF REFINERY WASTEWATER

Petroleum refining industries are producing wastewater that contains hydrocarbons, phenol and dissolved minerals. These compounds result in environmental and health effects. In this study, actual petroleum refinery wastewater was treated using the Fenton process to improve its biodegradability for post treatment by a laboratory-scale Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR). Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied for optimization and data analysis of the Fenton process. The maximum biodegradability was achieved at the reaction time of 60 minutes and at a constant H2O2/COD molar ratio of 2 and H2O2/Fe2+ molar ratio of 5 to give 0.44 BOD5/COD with 79 and 77% COD and BOD removal efficiency, respectively. The results is considered acceptable and satisfied based on ANOVA analysis (P: <0.0001, R2:0.95, Adj. R2 : 0.91, AP: 16.479 and CV: 6.09). Preliminary performance of the SBR indicated wastewater load (food) to microorganisms ratio (F/M) of 0.1 was the most suitable ratio as the lowest COD concentration was achieved in the effluent