Photocatalytic pretreatment of contaminated groundwater for biological nitrification enhancement

✍ Scribed by Zisheng Zhang; William A Anderson; Murray Moo-Young

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 100 KB
• Volume: 77
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0268-2575
• DOI: 10.1002/jctb.547

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The sequential photocatalytic/biological treatment of a contaminated groundwater from a local industrial site was studied. The ground water contained approximately 100 mg dm^−3^ ammonia, as well as mg dm^−3^ levels of nitrification‐inhibiting organics such as chlorobenzene. An existing treatment system uses carbon adsorption pretreatment to remove the nitrification inhibitors before the water is treated in a biological nitrification system. Photocatalysis, using a corrugated plate photoreactor, was studied as an alternative to the carbon adsorption system for inhibitor removal. Photocatalytic pretreatment was found to significantly enhance the extent of biological nitrification. An optimal pretreatment time appeared to exist, since further pretreatment resulted in accumulation of nitrite. Although further study is required, there appears to be a potential for using photocatalysis to remove inhibitors from biological nitrification systems.

© 2002 Society of Chemical Industry