Grey Water Degradation Using Coupled Photocatalysis and Photofenton Processes Using Fixed Bed Reactor

Abstract

Today world is facing a greater threat of water crisis, with not enough portable water available for present population. The need of freshwater can be reduced by using recycled wastewater. The present work is an experimental study performed in order to degrade greywater (type of wastewater) for non drinking purpose like kitchen gardening, toilet flushing and other. Reuse of greywater depends on the technology used in its purification. In this work, processes like fenton and photo-fenton were studied on laboratory scale for the degradation of greywater. The greywater was collected from different sources of such as Laundry, Hostel Mess and Girls Hostels. Greywater degradation was studied in two methods i.e. in control degradation process and Fixed bed reactor degradation process. A laboratory scale Fixed bed reactor was fabricated to achieve the greywater degradation. In control chamber, the greywater was degraded with and without addition of catalyst (TiO2) and then impact of degradation was studied by testing its characteristics. Similarly in reactor the degradation was done in four different phases and then tested for its characteristics for each phase. It was found that highest value for BOD was recorded as 295. After few days and while first stage of treatment i.e control treatment, it was noticed that its BOD value was raised significantly with highest value recorded is 519. Further, there is not much effect is seen in alkanity and acidity character of greywater during degradation. Absorbance value for Fe recorded during control degradation was 0.554 which reduced in second stage of treatment to 0.551. Similar for Cr, in first stage of treatment, value of absorbance was 0.139, which was recorded as 0.004 in second stage. Approx 6% of reduction in pH has been noted. Fe and Zn percentage was found to be decrease by 2.5% and 0.5% respectively. Whereas Cr, Cu, Mn percentage shows huge decrease of 98%, 95.5% and 77.6% respectively.