Abstract:
This research studied a biological method to reuse ferric chloride, a common coagulant using with activated sludge process, by an addition of anaerobic tank to dissolve ferric hydroxide floc, which will be reformed in aeration tank. Results showed that by using jar test method, the appropriate pH was 8, and the best efficiency was found with ferric chloride concentration of 200 mg/L, achieving COD and turbidity removals of 78 and 98 percent, respectively. When ferric chloride was added into the aeration tank and total iron was controlled at 200 mg/L, the result found that ferric chloride concentration of 50 mg/L or 75 mg/day can control total iron in the aeration tank at 260.76 mg/L, which were 6.14 mg/L ferrous ion and 254.62 mg/L ferric ion. When wastewater influent and returned sludge were passed through a 48, 24, 12, 6, 3 and 1-hr retention time anaerobic tank prior to aeration tank, results showed that a 48-hr retention time anaerobic tank reduced ferric chloride addition from 75 to 22.5 mg/day and increased the dosages to 45 and 49.5 mg/day in 24 and 12-hr retention time anaerobic tank, respectively. While ferric chloride was not required in 6, 3 and 1-hr retention time anaerobic tank. Anaerobic tank of 6-hr retention time was selected and effluent from anaerobic digester was discharged into the aeration tank, results showed that total iron in the aeration tank was 379.12 mg/L, which were 0.29 mg/L ferrous ion and 378.83 mg/L ferric ion. Similar transformation of ferric ion to ferrous ion was found in batch reactors with and without HgCl2, indicating that this reaction should not be biological process.