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Dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) is produced during the oxidation of trichloroethylene. It is also produced in drinking water treatment as a disinfection by-product. DCAA is a problem material, because of its toxicity. The objective of this research is to find the final products and the reaction pathway of the DCAA decomposition by hydrolysis, and to increase the hydrolysis rate. The removal of both chlorine atoms in DCAA structure was achieved with hydrolysis at around 75 degrees C, and the final products were oxalic acid and glycolic acid. The reaction pathway was the production of oxalic acid and glycolic acid from two glyoxylic acid molecules by Cannizzaro reaction after the glyoxylic acid production from dechlorination of DCAA with hydrolysis. The hydrolysis rate of DCAA was increased with the use of 90% ethanol solution as solvent. The activation energy of DCAA was about 80 kJ/mol in it, while it was around 105 kJ/mol in water.

An anaerobic/aerobic system combining an anaerobic upflow-sludge bed filter (UBF) and an aerobic membrane bioreactor (MBR) was operated to enhance organic and nitrogen removal efficiency. The internal recycle rate, which is one of the most important operation factors that affects overall removal efficiency, was varied from 100% to 300% of the influent flow. Under these conditions, the overall removal efficiencies of organic and nitrogen and characteristics of membrane fouling in the combined system treating the synthetic wastewater including high concentration of organics and nutrients were studied. As a result, nitrogen removal efficiency was increased to 67% when the internal recycle rate was 300% of influent flow rate. As the internal recycle ratio increased from 100% to 200%, protein content decreased by 17% and carbohydrate content increased by 12%. However, there was no remarkable difference in total extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) content. At the high recycle rate of 300%, the surface charge of sludge was decreased while hydrophobicity (specific ultraviolet absorbance, SUVA) was increased. The differences in SUVA and surface charge were 11% and 1%, respectively. It is concluded that SUVA and EPS composition were important parameters affecting membrane fouling in the combined system.

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