Impact of the Organic Strength of Dairy Wastewater and Vermibed Depth on the Performance of Macrophyte-Assisted Vermifilters
Publication: Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 27, Issue 3
Abstract
In the last few decades, vermifiltration has become a well-known alternative to conventional wastewater remediation methods owing to its economic viability and environmental sustainability. In the present study, we examined the effect of the organic strength [i.e., chemical oxygen demand (COD)] of an influent (i.e., synthetic dairy wastewater) and the depth of the vermibed on the performance of a macrophyte-assisted vermifilter (MAVF), in terms of organic-carbon and nitrogen removal. The to-date inadequately explored possible N-removal pathways in the designed MAVF system were also investigated. The designed MAVF, with its vertical subsurface flow, achieved maximum COD removal up to 96.5 ± 1.5% when the influent COD and vermibed depth were at 1,400 ± 89 mg/L and 20 cm, respectively. Similarly, the MAVF produced a significant reduction in the ammonium–nitrogen ( –N) and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations, whereas the effluent nitrate ( )–N concentration was markedly enhanced compared to the influent concentration. The experimental run, using an influent COD of 1,400 ± 89 mg/L and a vermibed depth of 50 cm, yielded the maximum –N conversion efficiency, at 96.4 ± 1.2%. In the same experimental run, the greatest increase in the –N concentration (21.5 ± 3 times its influent concentration) was recorded. The TN removal reached a maximum of 71.4 ± 0.7% in the experimental run, with an influent COD of 2,900 ± 94 mg/L and a vermibed depth of 50 cm.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Environmental Engineering Department of the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar (IIT Bhubaneswar), Odisha, India for providing all the facilities necessary for carrying out this research work successfully.
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Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 27 • Issue 3 • July 2023
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© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Oct 22, 2022
Accepted: Jan 28, 2023
Published online: Mar 28, 2023
Published in print: Jul 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Aug 28, 2023
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