PERFORMANCE OF TREATING A REAL KRAFT PULP AND PAPER MILL WASTEWATER BY PHOTOCATALYTIC USING CU-TIO2 FOILS/SUNLIGHT

Abstract

Wastewater from pulp and paper mills entails diversity of recalcitrant pollutants and toxins, which compels search for cost effective and efficient treatment technologies. This study evaluated the efficiency of treating a real Kraft pulp and paper mill effluent by photocatalytic using Cu- TiO2/sunlight. The study first established that the most photoactive titanium dioxide piece of foil was one anodized at 200 V for 120 s and copper-doped. Four possible novel effluent treatment techniques were investigated including; photocatalytic combined with photovoltaic (PHCPVC); photocatalytic combined with wood ash leachate (PHCASH); photocatalytic alone (PHCALON); and photo-treatment without Cu-TiO2 foils (PHOALON). It was revealed that PHCPVC was the most effective in reducing BOD, COD, color, TSS, TDS, and turbidity of real Kraft pulp mill effluent by an average of 82.1%, 68.6%, 78.5%, 68.2%, 54.4%, and 68.8% respectively. PHCPVC reduced several elemental constituents in the effluent to within internationally acceptable limits.