Open AccessImproved Biodegradability of Ligninsulfonic Acid and Wastewater after Ozonation
Author(s) -
Gorenflo A.,
Li Y.,
Frimmel F.H.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
engineering in life sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.547
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1618-2863
pISSN - 1618-0240
DOI - 10.1002/elsc.200390000
Subject(s) - biodegradation , flocculation , paper mill , effluent , wastewater , chemistry , pulp and paper industry , sewage treatment , pulp (tooth) , waste management , organic chemistry , medicine , pathology , engineering
A considerable amount of the constituents in wastewater of the pulp and paper mill industry is not biodegradable. As an alternative to the usual coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation of the substances, the combination of ozonation and a subsequent biological treatment step has been proposed. Ozonation in combination with microbiological treatment was employed to remove ligninsulfonic acid and refractory organic substances from the effluent of a paper mill wastewater treatment plant. Laboratory experiments showed that ligninsulfonic acid was converted into low‐molecular‐weight acids which were biodegradable.