The comparison of Fenton and photo‐Fenton oxidation as a primary unit process for the treatment of raw textile wastewaters

Abstract

The Fenton and photo‐Fenton oxidation processes (FOP and PFOP) are usually applied as a secondary unit process, and direct usage of both processes is critical in textile wastewater treatment. There is seldom study on the direct application of the FOP or PFOP showing the treatment of raw textile industry wastewaters. This study demonstrates the application and comparison of both FOP and PFOP as single units separately for the treatment of wastewater in a textile industry producing woven fabrics. In both processes, the highest treatment efficiency was achieved at pH 3. Chemical oxygen demand (COD), suspended solids (SS), and color parameters in FOP reduced from 1341 to 254 mg/L, 99.5 to 19.9 mg/L, and 1396 to 97.7 Pt‐Co, respectively. Separately, in the PFOP, 365‐nm wavelength UV radiation sources have been used. In PFOP, the same parameters were reduced from 715 to 42.9 mg/L, 90 to 9 mg/L, and 2080 to 83.2 Pt‐Co, respectively. These results were obtained at 0.7 g Fe2+/L and 2 mM H2O2 concentrations in both studies. PFOP can meet the textile industry receiving environment discharge standards of many countries, especially in Turkey. The use of PFOP as a single unit is possible in the treatment of textile industry wastewater without primary precipitation. The findings in this study may be practical for the adaptation of the processes on the field scale. Practitioner Points There is seldom study on the direct application of Fenton or photo‐Fenton processes as a single unit to raw textile wastewaters This study shows the application of the Fenton or photo‐Fenton processes as single units for the treatment of raw wastewater in a textile industry Results of both processes in this study meet the discharge standards of many countries Evaluations of efficiencies of both processes were achieved This study may be the focus of attention of treatment plant operators and researchers