Eliminación biológica de altas concentraciones de fenol presente en aguas residuales

Abstract

In chemical, pharmaceutical, and other industries, typical concentrations of phenols in the wastewater range between 35 and 400 mg/L. However, in extreme cases, as in some Mexican refineries, the concentration of phenols may be as high as 30,000 mg/L. In this paper the use of a control strategy is presented for the treatment of this type of effluent in discontinuous reactors. The optimal control strategy uses the measurement of the dissolved oxygen on line, and the volume in the reactor to control the flow of the influent, in such a way that the rate of degradation of the substrate fluctuates around its maximum value throughout the fill phase. The use of the optimal strategy in the degradation was evaluated, when one mixes municipal wastewater and phenol. In addition, the degradation of phenol concentration peaks was evaluated in the wastewater (700, 1500, 3000 and 7000 mg of phenol/L). The application of the optimal strategy showed that it is possible to treat a mix of wastewater and phenol. The optimal strategy showed that is possible to treat in a single cycle, the different phenol concentration peaks in the municipal wastewater.