Biodegradation of pulp and paper mill effluent by co-culturing ascomycetous fungi in repeated batch process

The competence of novel fungal consortium, consisting of Nigrospora sp. LDF00204 (accession no. KP732542) and Curvularia lunata LDF21 (accession no. KU664593), was investigated for the treatment of pulp and paper mill effluent. Fungal consortium exhibited enhanced biomass production under optimized medium conditions, i.e., glucose as carbon (C), sodium nitrate as nitrogen (N), C/N 1.5:0.5, pH 5, temperature 30 °C, and agitation 140 rpm, and significantly reduced biochemical oxygen demand (85.6%), chemical oxygen demand (80%), color (82.3%), and lignin concentration (76.1%) under catalytic enzyme activity; however, unutilized ligninolytic enzymes, such as laccase (Lac), manganese peroxidase (MnP), and lignin peroxidase (LiP), were observed to be 13.5, 11.4, and 9.4 U/ml after the third cycle of effluent treatment in repeated batch process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of fungal consortium revealed their compatibility through intermingled hyphae and spores, while the FTIR spectra confirmed the alteration of functional groups ensuring structural changes during the effluent treatment. Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis showed the reduction of complex compounds and development of numerous low-molecular-weight metabolites, such as 1-3-dimethyl benzene, 2-chloro-3-methyl butane, pentadecanoic acid, and 1-2-benzene dicarboxylic acid, during the treatment, demonstrating the massive potential of the novel fungal consortium to degrade recalcitrant industrial pollutants.     

造纸工业总排水及漂白废水中AOX监测方法的研究

运用TOX测定仪对造纸工业废水及漂白废水中AOX(可吸附有机卤素)测定;水样用硝酸调pH＜2后,以双根活性炭玻璃填充柱连续吸附;将吸附有机物的活性炭在氧气流中燃烧热解、用微库仑法测定其卤化氢.样品前处理比现行活性炭振荡吸附法样品及试剂用量少、快速、重现性好.方法测定浓度下限为3.73μg/L.     

Color removal from paper mill effluent through adsorption technology

The bagasse fly ash, obtained from the local sugar industry, has been used as an inexpensive and effective adsorbent for the removal of color from pulp and paper industry. Effect of various operating variables, viz., contact time, initial concentration, adsorbent dose and particle size on the removal of color has been studied and discussed. It is found that for optimum removal of color, contact time for adsorption equilibrium equals to 60 min., at dosage of 2 g/l of baggase fly ash. The material exhibits good removal capacity (86%) and follows both the Langmuir and the Freundlich models.     

Biological monitoring of a pulp and paper mill wastewater

The physico-chemical testing required under the E.P.A. licence enables one to gauge the chemical effects of the APM wastewater on the Latrobe River, but it tells us nothing about likely effects on the aquatic biota. The APM bio-monitoring programme was instigated to provide evidence of any effects of wastewater discharges on the rivers biota. To date the programme has shown no adverse impact downstream. The laboratory bioassays on fish and algae have recently given way to the river fauna surveys as the regular monitor of wastewater quality. It is intended to continue with regular river surveys using the river's residents as indicators of water quality and future surveys will investigate reasons for the presently obscure variation in macro-invertebrate populations.     

Bioremediation of tannery effluent by Cr- and salt-tolerant bacterial strains

Microorganisms have great potential to control environmental pollution, particularly industrial sources of water pollution. Currently, leather industry is regarded as the most polluting and suffering from negative impacts due to the pollution it adds to the environment. Chromium, one of the hazardous pollutants discharged from tanneries, is highly toxic and carcinogenic in nature. Effective treatment of tannery effluent is a dire need of the era as a part of environmental management. Among all the wastewater treatment technologies, bioremediation is the most effective and environment-friendly tool to manage the water pollution. The present study evaluated the potential of 11 previously isolated bacterial strains, tolerant to high concentrations of salts and Cr for the bioremediation of tannery effluent. Among all the tested strains, Enterobacter sp. HU38, Microbacterium arborescens HU33, and Pantoea stewartii ASI11 were found most effective in reducing biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), and chromium (Cr) 70, 63, 57, 87, and 54%, respectively, of tannery effluent and proliferated well under highly toxic conditions, at 9 days of incubation. The pollutant removal efficacy of these bacterial strains can be improved by extending the incubation period or by increasing the amount of inoculum.     

Accumulation of heavy metals in Spinacia oleracea irrigated with paper mill effluent and sewage

The present study on heavy metal contamination in soil and their accumulation in edible part (leaves) and roots of Spinacia oleracea (Spinach) on irrigation with paper mill effluent (PME)/sewage revealed that there was significant increase in the nickel (Ni, +227.17 %) content of the soil irrigated with PME, whereas in the soil irrigated with sewage chromium (Cr, +274.84 %), iron (Fe, +149.56 %), and cadmium (Cd, +133.39 %), contents were increased appreciably. The value of enrichment factor (EF) for Ni (3.27) indicated moderate enrichment in PME-irrigated soil. The EF of Fe, zinc (Zn), Cd, and Cr were <2 in PME effluent-irrigated soil which showed deficiency of minimal enrichment. In sewage irrigated soil, EF value for Cr, Fe, and Cd indicated moderate enrichment, while the values for Zn and Ni indicated deficiency of minimal enrichment. Among various metallic concentrations, the maximum concentration of Fe was observed in leaves (400.12?±?11.47 mg/kg) and root (301.41?±?13.14 mg/kg) of S. oleracea after irrigation with PME, whereas the maximum concentrations of Fe was found in leaves (400.49?±?5.97 mg/kg) and root (363.94?±?11.37 mg/kg) of S. oleracea after irrigation with sewage for 60 days. The bioaccumulation factor value was found maximum for Cd (2.23) in the plants irrigated with PME while that of Fe (0.90) in the plants irrigated with sewage. The undiluted use of PME/sewage for irrigation increased the concentration of Cr, Cd, Zn, Ni, and Fe metals which were accumulated in S. oleracea, posing a potential threat to human health from this practice of irrigation.     

Optimization of pulp mill effluent treatment with catalytic adsorbent using orthogonal second-order (Box-Behnken) experimental design

Novel catalytic adsorbent (ruthenium on carbon) was employed for the treatment of pulp mill effluent in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Mathematical model and optimization of the process regarding the most favorable COD (%), TOC (%) and color (%) removal rates was developed and performed with experimental design taking into account catalytic adsorption process kinetics. As the initial experimental design, 3(3-1) half-fractional factorial design (H-FFD) was accomplished at two levels to study the significance of the main effects, such as catalytic adsorbent (g l(-1)) and hydrogen peroxide (ppm) concentrations using the response surface methodology (RSM). Finally, a four factor-three coded level central composite design (CCD) with 28 runs was performed in order to fit a second-order polynomial model. Validation of the model was accomplished by different criteria including coefficient of determination and the corresponding analysis of variance. The achieved removal rates for TOC (up to 75%), COD (up to 73%) and color (up to 68%) were observed for the defined optimal conditions: 1g l(-1) of ruthenium on carbon, 7 ppm of hydrogen peroxide, pH = 4 and ambient temperature. The proposed method benefited significantly improved TOC, COD and color removal efficiency, regenerability and reusability of the catalytic adsorbent and unaltered initial pH of an effluent in comparison to traditional adsorption or oxidation processes.     

GC-MS分析碱法草浆造纸废水中的有机污染物组成

碱法草浆造纸废水在酸性条件下经乙醚萃取--K-D浓缩器浓缩,采用气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)联用仪对其有机污染物进行了分析研究.结果表明,该废水中共含有29种有机物,其中主要为有机酸类,占有机物总量的50.84%.其次为难降解的呋喃类和毒性较大的苯环类有机物,它们分别占有机物总量的25.12%和13.53%.     

亚铵法制浆造纸厂中段废水处理技术分析研究

通过对采用两级气浮做预处理 ,生物硫化床串联接触氧化做深度处理的治理技术的分析研究 ,结合废水处理工程实例 ,说明了用两级串联气浮 +硫化床 +接触氧化工艺处理造纸中段水技术切实可靠 ,该治理工艺对处理亚铵法麦草制浆造纸中段废水有较强的针对性和可行性。     

Environmental risk assessment of heavy metal extractability in a biosludge from the biological wastewater treatment plant of a pulp and paper mill

A five-stage sequential extraction procedure was used to fractionate heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ni, Co, As, V and Ba) in a biosludge from the biological wastewater treatment plant of Stora Enso Oyj Veitsiluoto Mills at Kemi, Northern Finland, into the following fractions: (1) water-soluble fraction, (2) exchangeable fraction, (3) easily reduced fraction, (4) oxidizable fraction, and (5) residual fraction. The biosludge investigated in this study is a combination of sludge from the primary and secondary clarifiers at the biological wastewater treatment plant. Extraction stages (2)–(4) follow the protocol proposed by the Measurements and Testing Program (formerly BCR Programme) of the European Commission, which is based on acetic acid extraction (stage 2), hydroxylamine hydrochloride extraction (stage 3), and hydrogen peroxide digestion following the ammonium acetate extraction (stage 4). The residual fraction (stage 5) was based on digestion of the residue from stage 4 in a mixture of HF + HNO₃ + HCl. Although metals were extractable in all fractions, the highest concentrations of most of the metals occurred in the residual fraction. From the environmental point of view, it was notable that the total heavy metal concentrations in the biosludge did not exceed the maximal allowable heavy metal concentrations for sewage sludge used in agriculture, set on the basis of environmental protection of soil by European Union Directive 86/278/EEC, and by the Finnish legislation. The Ca (98.6 g kg⁻¹; dry weight) and Mg (2.2 g kg⁻¹; dry weight) concentrations in the biosludge were 62 and 11 times higher than the typical values of 1.6 and of 0.2 g kg⁻¹ (dry weight), respectively, in arable land in Central Finland. The biosludge had a slightly alkaline pH (∼8.30), a high loss-on-ignition value (∼78%) and a liming effect of 10.3% expressed as Ca equivalents (dry weight). This indicates its potential as a soil conditioner and improvement agent, as well as a pH buffer.     

张掖地区造纸厂废水灌溉区域微型生物调查研究

通过对造纸废水流经灌区不同点进行微型生物监测 ,从微型生物的指示性角度出发 ,来说明造纸废水水质污染状况。通过监测得知 ,废水灌区微型生物共有 3 8种。其中藻类 1 0种 ,原生动物 2 8种。 3 8种微型生物均属多污性、α-中污性或 β-中污性种类 ,说明造纸废水治理效果较差且对灌区农作物及生态污染较严重。如何解决废水污染及灌区对废水的依赖性 ,应引起有关部门的重视。     

Ferti-irrigational impact of sugar mill effluent on agronomical characteristics of Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) in two seasons

Ferti-irrigation response of 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, and 100 % concentrations of the sugar mill effluent (SME) on French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., cv. Annapurna) in the rainy and summer seasons was investigated. The fertigant concentrations produced significant (P?+), potassium (K⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺), magnesium (Mg²⁺), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), phosphate (PO₄ ^3?), sulfate (SO₄ ^2?), ferrous (Fe²⁺), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn), in both seasons. The contents of Cr, Cu, Mn, and Zn except Cd were found to be below the maximum levels permitted for soils in India. The agronomic performance of P. vulgaris was gradually increased at lower concentrations, i.e., from 5 to 25 %, and decreased at higher concentrations, i.e., from 50 to 100 %, of the SME in both seasons when compared to controls. The accumulations of heavy metals were increased in the soil and P. vulgaris from 5 to 100 % concentrations of the SME in both seasons. The contents of Cu, Mn, and Zn except Cd and Cr were noted under the permissible limit of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Most contents of biochemical components like crude proteins, crude fiber, and total carbohydrates were found with 25 % concentration of the SME in both seasons. The contamination factor (Cf) of various metals was in the order of Cd > Cr > Zn > Mn > Cu for soil and Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Cd for P. vulgaris in both seasons after fertigation with SME. Therefore, the SME can be used to improve the soil fertility and yield of P. vulgaris after appropriate dilution.     

Applicability of high rate transpiration system for treatment of biologically treated distillery effluent

The biologically treated distillery effluent (BTDE) contains intense colour, high total dissolved solids (TDS), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). These properties even after primary, secondary and tertiary treatments contain high concentrations of TDS, COD and BOD. The paper highlights the safe disposal and treatment of BTDE on land through High Rate Transpiration System (HRTS). HRTS is a zero discharge, low cost, high-tech method for improving the quality of BTDE for potential reuse. The experiments conducted at bench and pilot scale showed that HRTS having coconut husk as a bedding material could successfully treat the BTDE with a hydraulic load of 200 m³ ha⁻¹ day⁻¹ having BOD of 100 mg l⁻¹ and 500 m³ ha⁻¹ day⁻¹ having BOD of 500 mg l⁻¹ with average COD load of 0.686 and 2.88 ton ha⁻¹ day⁻¹ during the post and pre monsoon periods respectively. There was no significant increase in the organic carbon of the soil irrigated with BTDE. The concentrations of various pollutants analyzed in the leachate were within the prescribed limit for the drinking water sources. The colour removal was 99 to 100% and BOD and COD were possible to treat with optimum hydraulic loading of BTDE through HRTS planted with Dendrocalamus strictus.     

Whole-cell bacterial biosensors for rapid and effective monitoring of heavy metals and inorganic pollutants in wastewater

The increasing number of potentially harmful pollutants in the wastewater effluent discharge necessitates the need for the development of fast and cost effective analytical techniques for extensive monitoring programmes to assess the effectiveness of the treatment process. This study compared the use of bacterial biosensors to the conventional Daphnia magna assay, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) tests as well as chemical analysis, for monitoring the toxicity of wastewater. The bacterial biosensors constructed in this study, using S. sonnei and E. coli, were found to be sensitive to the toxicity of the wastewater effluents. A linear increase in bioluminescence with increasing concentration of heavy metals and inorganic pollutants in water was observed, with a correlation coefficient (r(2)) as high as 0.995 and 0.997, respectively. No notable correlation between biosensor toxicity and BOD and COD test results was observed. These bacterial biosensors could provide appropriate alternatives for a rapid, sensitive and cost effective detection of wastewater quality. However, the differences in sensitivity obtained for the different systems suggest that the use of a battery of toxicity assays may be required to provide a real ecotoxicological assessment of wastewater samples.     

EOX concentrations in sediment in the part of the Bothnian Bay affected by effluents from the pulp and paper mills at Kemi, Northern Finland

The Bothnian Bay, which is the northernmost part of the Gulf of Bothnia in Northern Finland, is affected by effluents discharged from point sources such as the pulp and paper mills of Stora Enso Oyj Veitsiluoto Mill and Oy Metsä-Botnia Ab Kemi Mill at Kemi, and the Kemi municipal sewage plant, as well as the River Kemijoki. In this paper we discuss, how modernisation of the wastewater treatment plant at the mills, and process investments in the Best Available Techniques (BAT) for effluent treatment, have decreased the effluent discharges of biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus (Tot-P), total nitrogen (TOT-N), total suspended solids (TSS) and adsorbable organically bound halogens (AOX) from the mills since 1988. One specific aim of the study was to determine the EOX (Extractable Organically Bound Halogens) concentrations in bottom sediment of the Bothnian Bay in order to assess whether the EOX concentrations reflect the reduction in discharges of chlorinated compounds. According to the monitoring program carried out every third year between 1997–2006, the decreasing trend in EOX concentrations in the top 2 cm of the bottom sediment reflect the decrease in organochlorine discharges (AOX) from the mills. In 1997 the EOX concentrations in bottom sediment varied between 3–70 μg of Cl g^?1 (dry weight), and in 2006 between 3.3–32 μg of Cl g^?1 (dry weight).     

海水中有机污染物的气相色谱－质谱法鉴定

本文采用一种简便的连续萃取装置．对海水中痕量有机物进行富集,大量的海水被萃取后,萃取物经干燥浓缩在毛细管气相色谱上进行了分离,并用质谱－计算机自动检索装置进行了定性鉴定,共确定出３６种组分。本方法的检测限为辛烷１０ｐｐｔ。     

Environmental impact assessment of a mixed tropical hardwood integrated pulp and paper mill— a case study

An overview of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for a mixed tropical hardwood integrated pulp and paper mill in Sabah, Malaysia, is presented. The EIA before the mill construction included, among other things, a detailed baseline study and also environmental impact predictions based on certain mill design and pollution abatement measures. Subsequent to mill construction (during the operational stage), data were gathered to determine the quality of the ambient air as well as the effluent and the receiving bay water quality. These post-construction monitoring results were then compared with the earlier impact predictions, and showed, in general, a good correspondence.     

Biological responses to sediment remediation based on thin layer placement near a former pulp mill in Ward Cove, AK (USA)

In 2001, 28 acres of the bottom of Ward Cove, AK (USA) were remediated using thin layer placement, to enhance the natural recovery of contaminated sediments. The remediated areas were part of an 80-acre area of concern identified offshore from the site of a former sulfite pulp mill. The primary chemicals of concern were those commonly associated with organic enrichment near pulp mills: ammonia and 4-methylphenol. The primary remedial objectives were to reduce the toxicity of the contaminated sediments and to stimulate colonization of the remediated areas by benthic macroinvertebrates. In 2004, the initial monitoring event for the remediated areas was conducted, and included evaluations of physical/chemical sediment variables (i.e., total organic carbon, grain size distribution, ammonia, and 4-methylphenol), sediment toxicity (i.e., using the 10-day amphipod survival test with Eohaustorius estuarius), and in situ benthic macroinvertebrate communities. Results of the monitoring event showed that conditions in the remediated areas had improved considerably in the 3 years since thin layer placement had occurred. At most stations, concentrations of both ammonia and 4-methylphenol were very low, and amphipod survival was >or=90%. In addition, benthic macroinvertebrates appeared to be rapidly colonizing the remediated areas, based on evaluations of several community metrics (i.e., taxa richness, diversity, and dominance), as well as key indicator species of organic enrichment and associated transitional areas (i.e., primarily the polychaetes Capitella capitata and Nephtys cornuta, and the bivalve molluscs Axinopsida serricata and Parvilucina tenuisculpta). In general, colonization was consistent with the patterns identified for areas recovering from organic enrichment on the continental shelf of southern California and elsewhere. Based on these results, thin layer placement was considered successful in enhancing the natural recovery of the remediated sediments in Ward Cove.     

Reduction of dissolved organic matter in terms of DOC, UV-254, SUVA and THMFP in industrial estate wastewater treated by stabilization ponds

The aim of this research was to monitor the influent and effluent water quality of the aeration, facultative and oxidation water treatment ponds of an industrial estate. This industrial estate, the largest in northern Thailand, has proposed to utilization of reclaimed treated wastewater in their raw water supply so as to cope with the yearly water shortage during the dry season. Water samples were collected four times from four sampling points and evaluated for their dissolved organic matter (DOM) content in terms of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ultraviolet light absorbance at 254 nm (UV-254), specific ultraviolet absorption (SUVA), trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) and trihalomethane (THM) species. Average values of DOC, UV-254, SUVA and THMFP in the influent wastewater of 12.9 mg L⁻¹, 0.165 cm⁻¹, 1.29 L mg⁻¹m⁻¹ and 1.24 mg L⁻¹, respectively, were observed. The aeration ponds produced the best results: a 54% reduction of DOC, a 33% reduction of UV-254, and a 57% reduction of THMFP. However, SUVA in the aeration pond effluent showed a moderate increase. The facultative ponds and oxidation ponds did not take part in the reduction of DOC, UV-254, SUVA and THMFP. Average DOC, UV-254, SUVA and THMFP value of the treated wastewater were 5.8 mg L⁻¹, 0.107 cm⁻¹, 1.85 L mg⁻¹m⁻¹ and 468 μg L⁻¹, respectively. Chloroform, at 72.6% of total THMFP, was found to be the predominant THM species.     

Migration of pollutants in groundwater. II. adsorbable pollutants and numerical dispersion reduction

We discuss here the partial differential equations governing the migration of a decomposing pollutant adsorbing according to a Langmuir isotherm and undergoing 2-dimensional flow in a saturated aquifer. The equation governing the mass transfer of the pollutant to the surfaces within the aquifer are solved in closed form, permitting the use of larger values of the time increment t in the numerical integration of the dispersion-advection equation governing the behavior of the dissolved pollutant. In this numerical integration transverse numerical dispersion is eliminated by using conformal coordinates (velocity potential and stream function), and longitudinal numerical dispersion is very substantially reduced by use of an asymmetrical 4-point formula to represent the advection term. Some representative results are given as contour maps. The mass transfer rate coefficient is estimated as the least positive eigenvalue of a diffusion problem.