Iranian Journal of Environmental Health, Science and Engineering Iranian Association of Environmental Health (IAEH) ISSN: 1735-1979 Vol. 6, Num. 1, 2009, pp. 11-16

Iranian Journal of Environmental Health, Science and Engineering, 2009, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 11-16

Effect of Dye Concentration on Sequencing Batch Reactor Performance

¹A. A. Vaigan,^*1M. R. Alavi Moghaddam, ²H. Hashemi

¹ Faculty of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, 15875-4413, Iran
² Environmental Science & Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
*Corresponding author: alavim@yahoo.com Tel: +98 21 64543008, Fax: +98 21 66414213

Code Number: se09003

Received 5 July 2008; revised 21 September 2008; accepted 26 November 2008

ABSTRACT

Reactive dyes have been identified as problematic compounds in textile industries wastewater as they are water soluble and cannot be easily removed by conventional aerobic biological treatment systems. The treatability of a reactive dye (Brill Blue KN-R) by sequencing batch reactor and the influence of the dye concentration on system performance were investigated in this study. Brill Blue KN-R is one of the main dyes that are used in textile industries in Iran. Four cylindrical Plexiglas reactors were run for 36 days (5 days for acclimatization of sludge and 31 days for normal operation) at different initial dye concentrations. The dye concentrations were adjusted to be 20, 25, 30 and 40 mg/L in the reactors R1, R2, R3 and R4, respectively. In all reactors, effective volume, influent wastewater flowrate and sludge retention time were 5.5 L, 3.0 L/d and 10 d, respectively. According to the obtained data, average dye removal efficiencies of R1, R2, R3 and R4 were 57% ± 2, 50.18% ± 3, 44.97% ± 3 and 30.98% ± 3, respectively. The average COD removal efficiencies of all reactors were 97% ± 1, 97.12% ± 1, 96.93% ± 1 and 97.22% ± 1, respectively. The dye removal efficiency was decreased by increasing the dye concentration with the correlation coefficient of 0.997.

Key words: Biological treatment, sequencing batch reactor, reactive dyes, Brill Blue KN-R

INTRODUCTION

The decolorization of wastewater is still a major environmental concern. Synthetic dyes used in textile industry, are difficult to be removed by conventional wastewater treatment systems based on adsorption and aerobic biodegradation. In spite of the low toxic effect on receiving bodies, the dyes constitute an aesthetic problem with great impact in the public opinion and color restricts the downstream use of the wastewater (Lourenco et al., 2001).

At present, several methods have been developed to treat dye wastewater. Physicochemical treatments such as coagulation/flocculation, flotation, membrane processes or activated carbon adsorption are common practices, but they are quite inefficient and result in a phase transfer of pollutants, leaving the problem unsolved. On the other hand, single biological treatments, the most economical and environmentally friendly ones, are not a suitable alternative when working with toxic and/or non-biodegradable wastewaters. In fact, most of disposed dyes are of non-biodegradable nature and standard biological treatment of their colored effluents is not effective (Montano et al., 2006a). Biological processes are considered to be highly useful and potentially advantageous compared to physicochemical methods for the treatment of toxic compounds due to their eco-friendly nature, energy saving and minimum usage of chemicals (Mohan et al., 2007).

The application of SBR to color removal is rather a new approach compared to anaerobic–aerobic sequential treatment (Kapdan and Ozturk. 2005). Sequencing batch reactor (SBR) as a modified activated sludge process has been used for many industrial wastewaters such as fiber and dyes wastewater. Main advantages of this system are low build cost, high flexibility and low required space (Ganjesh et al., 2006). Disadvantages of this system are high excess sludge production and high SVI index (Bernet et al., 2000; Kargi and Uygur. 2002).

Different researches have been carried out on reactive dyes removal by various processes (Panswad and Luangdilok , 2000; Lourenco et al., 2001; Sponza and Isik, 2002; Mass and Chaudhari., 2005; Alizadeh and Borgaie., 2006; Montano et al., 2006b; Petrinic et al., 2007 ; Alaton et al., 2008; Ju et al., 2008; Isik and Sponza, 2008). However, limited studies focused on the influence of reactive dye concentrations on the performance of biological processes. In this study, the treatability of a reactive dye (Reactive Brill Blue KN-R) using SBR system and the influence of the initial dye concentrations on system performance were investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The synthetic dye-containing wastewater was used in this study. The composition of the wastewater was powdered milk (1795 mg/L) as main carbon source, urea (198 mg/L) as nitrogen source, K2HPO4 (52 mg/L) and KH2PO4 (46 mg/L) as phosphorous sources. Reactive Brill Blue KN-R (CI: Reactive Blue B-16) was used in different concentrations. The dye is one of the main dyes that are used in textile industries in Iran. The maximum absorbance (λ_max ) of the dye with the background of deionized water was 594 nm, which was determined according to scanning pattern performed on HACH spectrophotometer DR/4000. During the experiments, λ_max was used for all the absorbance readings. The percentage of dye removal was calculated by the following equation:

Dye removal (%) = [(C_r -C_t )/C_r ] *100

Where C_r and C_t are the dye concentration in raw and treated solutions, respectively.

In this study, four cylindrical plexiglas reactors with 14 cm diameter and 46 cm height were used (Fig. 1). The working volume and influent flowrate were 5.5 L and 3.0 L/d , respectively. Four air pumps and four mixers were used for continuous aeration and mixing. The speed of impeller was adjusted at 70 rpm.\

The Sludge was provided from Zarghande wastewater treatment plant, in Tehran. Operation cycle of reactors was 24 hours including 2 min for filling, 22.5 hours for aeration, 1 hour for settling, 2 min for discharging and 25 min for idle phase. After acclimatization period, dye concentration was adjusted 20, 25, 30 and 40 mg/L in reactors R1, R2, R3 and R4, respectively. Reactors were studied for 36 days (5 days for acclimatization and 31 days for normal operation). Organic loading rate (OLR), sludge retention time (SRT) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) were similar in all reactors.

The chemical oxygen demand (COD), dye absorbance ratio, mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), mixed liquor volatile solids (MLVSS), total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH and sludge volume index (SVI) of samples were determined using standard methods for examination of water and wastewater (APHA, AWWA and WPCF, 1992).

RESULTS

Dye removal efficiency

The variation of dye removal efficiencies of all reactors are shown in Fig. 2. The minimum dye removal efficiency was obtained in R4 with the dye concentration of 40 mg/L. Maximum dye removal efficiency was obtained in R1 with dye concentration of 20 mg/L. Fig. 3 shows the influence of initial dye concentration on dye removal efficiency in SBR system. As shown, by increasing the dye concentration from 20 to 40 mg/L, the dye removal efficiency decreased from 57 to 31 percent. Correlation coefficient between initial dye concentration and dye removal efficiency was 0.997.

COD removal efficiency and effluent characteristics

Table 1 summarizes the operation data of SBRs including COD removal efficiency, effluent turbidity, and effluent TSS. The variation of COD removal efficiencies are shown in Fig. 4. The average removal efficiencies were almost in the same range of 97 percent and COD removal efficiencies increased from 95% to 98% during the normal operation period in all reactors. Maximum COD removal efficiency was obtained in the reactor 4 with the dye concentration of 40 mg/L. No significant influence on COD removal efficiency was observed by altering the dye concentration.

Sludge properties

Main bio-sludge properties of the reactors are summarized in Table 2. These values were obtained in period of 31 days normal operation. Maximum MLSS concentration was observed in reactor 3 and minimum was in the reactor 4.

The maximum average of SVI was in reactor 4 and minimum was in reactor 1. As it shown, by altering the dye concentration from 20 to 40 mg/L, there were no significant variations in sludge properties of SBR system.

DISCUSSION

In this study, dye removal efficiency was in the range of 31 to 57 percent and SBR system showed low removal efficiency for the reactive dye. According to the study that carried out by T. Panswad, color reduction of three different reactive dyes (Reactive Black 5, Reactive Blue 19 and Reactive Blue 5) in an aerobic/anaerobic SBR was 63, 64, and 66 percent. Moreover, more color removal efficiency achieved in anaerobic phase than aerobic phase (Panswad and Luangdilok, 2000). In a different study by Sponza, the removal efficiency of Reactive Blue 5 in an aerobic/anaerobic sequential process was 92 and 87 percent in an UASB reactor and CSTR (completely stirred tank reactor) (Sponza and Isik, 2002). Additionally in other study by Mass, the removal efficiency of Reactive Red 2 in a semi continues bioreactors were above 76% (Mass and Chaudhari, 2005).

COD removal efficiency of 97% was obtained in our study in SBR reactors under similar organic loading rate. No significance influence of dye on COD removal was observed. In the study by Ghoreishi and Haghighi, the COD removal efficiencies were in the range of 76 – 83 in a combined biological-reduction process (Ghoreishi and Haghighi, 2003). In another study that carried out by Sponza, the COD removal efficiencies under the HRT of 19.17 and 1.22 were 97% and 84% in combined aerobic/anaerobic system (Sponza and Isik, 2002). In the other study by Mass and Chaudhari, COD removal efficiency of the semi-continues bioreactors were 80 percent (Mass and Chaudhari, 2005). In aerobic/anaerobic SBR system, the COD removal efficiency was in the range of 90-99% (Panswad and Luangdilok, 2000).

Sludge properties were almost same in all reactors and no significance influence was observed by altering the dye concentration from 20 to 40 mg/L. SVI of all reactors was in the range of 37- 49 mL/g. Average of SVI in all reactors was in the acceptable range 50 - 80 mL/g (Sirianuntapiboon and Srisornsak ,2007).

It can be concluded that the maximum and minimum dye removal efficiency was observed in R1 (dye concentration of 40 mg/L) and R4 (dye concentration of 40 mg/L), with the values of 57% ± 2, and 30.98% ± 3, respectively. However, SBR shows acceptable COD removal efficiency of 97%. Effluent turbidity and TSS of SBR system were lower than Iranian emission standard. The initial dye concentration has no significant influence on sludge properties. This study showed that the conventional SBR system did not show acceptable removal efficiency for selected reactive dye at the selected operational conditions. For increasing the dye removal efficiency, several options can be checked. For example, increasing the HRT, using a combination of aerobic/ anaerobic systems, or another combined systems (adsorption/biological process) can be considered.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors wish to express deep thanks to Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, for providing the research materials, equipments and also thanks to Mr. Hooman Hajiabadi, the former MS student, Ms. Elham Paseh and Ms. Maryam Akbari for their assistance in analysis of the samples.

REFERENCES

• APHA, AWWA, WPCF, 1992. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 18th Ed. Washington DC, USA.
• Arslan-Alaton, I., Hande, G. B., Schmidt, E., (2008). Advanced oxidation of acid and reactive dyes: Effect of Fenton treatment on aerobic, anoxic and anaerobic processes. Dyes and Pigments, (78): 117-130.
• Alizadeh, R., Borgaie, M., (2006). Application of granulated activated carbon for treatment of textile wastewater. Iranian J. Chemical Eng., 25 (3): 21 - 28. (In Persian)
• Bernet, D. P., Nicolas, D., Philipe, J., Moletta, R., (2000). Effects of oxygen supply methods on the performance of a sequencing batch reactor for high ammonia nitrification. J. Water Env. Res., 72: 195–200.
• Ganjesh, R., Balaji, G., Ramanujam, R. A., (2006). Biodegradation of tannery wastewater using sequencing batch reactor-Respirometric assessment. J. Bioresource Tech., 97: 1815–1821.
• Garcia-Montano, J., Torrades, F., Garcia-Hortal, J. A., Domenech, J., and Peral, J., (2006a). Degradation of Porcion Red H-E7B reactive dye by coupling a photo-Fenton system with a sequencing batch reactor. J. Hazardous Materials., B134: 220–229.
• Garcia-Montano, J., Torrades, F., Garcia-Hortal, J. A., Domenech, J., and Peral, J., (2006b). Combining photo-Fenton process with aerobic sequencing batch reactor for commercial hetero-bireactive dye removal. J. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental., 67: 86–92.
• Ghoreishi, S. M., Haghighi, H., (2003). Chemical catalytic reaction and biological oxidation for treatment of non-biodegradable textile effluent. J. Chemical Eng., 95: 163–169.
• Isik, M., Sponza, D. T., (2008). Anaerobic/aerobic treatment of a simulated textile wastewater. J. Separation and Purification Tech., 60: 64–72
• Iranian environmental protection regulations & standard (2004). First Volume, Department of Environment, Tehran, Iran.
• Ju, D. J., Byun, I. G., Park, J. J., Lee, C. H., Ahn, G. H., Park, T. J., (2008). Biosorption of a reactive dye (Rhodamine-B) from an aqueous solution using dried biomass of activated sludge. J. Bioresource Tech. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2008.03.061.
• Kapdan, I. K., Ozturk, R., (2005). Effect of operating parameters on color and COD removal performance of SBR: Sludge age and initial dyestuff concentration. J. Hazardous Materials B123: 217-222.
• Kargi, F., Uygur, A., (2002). Nutrient removal performance of a sequencing batch reactor as a function of the sludge age. J. Enzyme and Microbial Tech., 31: 842–847.
• Lourenco, N. D., Novais, J. M., and Pinheiro, H. M., (2001). Effect of some operational parameters on textile dye biodegradation in a sequential batch reactor. J. Biotech., 89: 163–174.
• Maas, R., and Chaudhari, S., (2005). Adsorption and biological decolorization of azo dye Reactive Red 2 in semi continuous anaerobic reactors. J. Process Biochem., 40: 699–705.
• Mohan, S. V., Rao, C. N., Sarma, P. N., (2007). Simulated acid azo dye (Acid black 210) wastewater treatment by periodic discontinuous batch mode operation under anoxic-aerobic-anoxic microenvironment conditions. J. Environmental Engineering., 3I: 242-250.
• Panswad, T. and Luangdilok, W., (2000). Decolorization of reactive dyes with different molecular structures under different environmental conditions. J. Water Research., 34 (17): 4177-4148.
• Petrinic, I., Andersen, N. P. R., Sostar-Turk, S., Marechal, A. M. L., (2007). The removal of reactive dye printing compounds using nanofiltration. J. Dyes and Pigments., 74: 512-518.
• Sirianuntapiboon, S., and Srisornsak, P., (2007). Removal of disperse dyes from textile wastewater using bio-sludge. J. Bioresource Tech., 98: 1057–1066.
• Sponza, D. T., and Isik, M., (2002). Decolorization and azo dye degradation by anaerobic/aerobic sequential process. J. Enzyme and Microbial Tech., 31: 102–110.

© Copyright 2008 - Tehran University of Medical Sciences Publications

The following images related to this document are available:

Photo images