Comparative performance of four membrane-based treatment strategies for wastewater from explosives production
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study evaluates the performance of various configurations involving ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), reverse osmosis (RO), anion exchange (AE), and fixed-bed filtration (FBF) for the treatment of wastewater from explosives production. The UF-NF-RO system demonstrated significant pollutant removal, with COD, TOC, Pb(II), and Na reductions of 88.6%, 63.3%, 99.6%, and 91.1%, respectively. However, despite high retention degrees, the effluent quality did not meet discharge standards. The UF-RO-RO configuration, which utilized a tighter UF membrane followed by two RO stages, achieved improved pollutant removal but remained insufficient for regulatory compliance. The UF-RO-AnEx system showed high lead and sodium removal but in the final effluent concentration of COD, TOC, and N-NO3 were above permissible limits. The most effective configuration, FBF-IonEx-RO, employed fixed-bed filtration with sand, halloysite clay, and activated carbon before ion exchange and RO. This approach resulted in nearly complete removal of Pb(II) and N-NO3 while significantly reducing COD and TOC concentrations, ultimately meeting discharge standards. Membrane permeability analysis revealed that scaling due to high conductivity had a greater impact on RO fouling than organic matter. Ecotoxicity tests using Lemna minor and Vibrio fischeri confirmed that the FBF-IonEx-RO configuration produced the least toxic effluent, demonstrating its potential as an effective wastewater treatment solution.
Source: Water Resources and Industry
Institutions: Silesian University of Technology, Nitroerg (Poland)
Language: English
Subfield: Water Science and Technology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,613
Award: G2209334375
OpenAlex ID: W7083307150