Effective removal of effluent organic matter (EfOM) from bio-treated coking wastewater by a recyclable aminated hyper-cross-linked polymer

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) 2013-09, Vol.47 (13), p.4730-4738
• Main Authors: Yang, Wenlan, Li, Xuchun, Pan, Bingcai, Lv, Lu, Zhang, Weiming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adsorbents; Adsorption; Amines - chemistry; Applied sciences; aromatic compounds; Bio-treated coking wastewater; Biodegradation, Environmental; Carbon - analysis; Coke - analysis; Cross-Linking Reagents - chemistry; Cyclic batch and column runs; dissolved organic matter; Effluent organic matter (EfOM); EfOM fractionation; Exact sciences and technology; fluorescence emission spectroscopy; Fluorescence spectroscopy; fractionation; hydrophobicity; Organic Chemicals - isolation & purification; Pollution; Polymeric adsorbent; polymers; Polymers - chemistry; Recycling; sewage effluent; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; surface area; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Waste Water - chemistry; wastewater; Water Pollutants, Chemical - isolation & purification; Water Purification; Water Quality; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2013.05.032

Effluent organic matter (EfOM) is a complex matrix of organic substance mainly from bio-treated sewage effluent and is considered as the main constraint to further advanced treatment. Here a recyclable aminated hyper-cross-linked polymeric adsorbent (NDA-802) featured with aminated functional groups, large specific surface area, and sufficient micropore region was synthesized for effective removal of EfOM from the bio-treated coking wastewater (BTCW), and its removal characteristics was investigated. It was found that hydrophobic fraction was the main constituent (64.8% of DOC) in EfOM of BTCW, and the hydrophobic-neutral fraction had the highest SUVA level (7.06 L mg−1 m−1), which were significantly different from that in the domestic wastewater. Column adsorption experiments showed that NDA-802 exhibited much higher removal efficiency of EfOM than other polymeric adsorbents D-301, XAD-4, and XAD-7, and the efficiency could be readily sustained according to continuous 28-cycle batch adsorption–regeneration experiments. Moreover, dissolved organic matter (DOM) fractionation and excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy study indicated that NDA-802 showed attractive adsorption preference as well as high removal efficiency of hydrophobic and aromatic compounds. Possibly ascribed to the presence of functional aminated groups, relatively large specific surface area and micropore region of the unique polymer, NDA-802 possesses high and sustained efficiency for the removal of EfOM, and provides a potential alternative for the advanced treatment. ▪ •An aminated polystyrene adsorbent was developed for EfOM removal from bio-treated effluent.•Different adsorption of the fractionated EfOM was characterized.•Micropore structure and the amino groups of the adsorbent are responsible for EfOM removal.•The exhausted adsorbent can be regenerated for multiple uses.