Technical Papers
Jun 25, 2024

Rural Septic Tank Wastewater Treatment Based on Enhanced Microalgae Growth in a Photosynthetic Electrochemical System

Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 150, Issue 9

Abstract

The three-chamber septic tank has become essential in the middle rural areas of China, although its drainage serves as a potential source of groundwater contamination. A photosynthetic electrochemical system using Chlorella vulgaris was developed to treat synthetic sewage, and the impact of environmental factors on treatment performance was investigated. The results showed that the removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH4+-N and PO43-P reached maximum value under 1.00  times/day1 hydraulic circulation, 0.3·g  L1 initial algae dosage and 4,350 Lux light intensity. When the optimal condition were applied to treat the effluent of three-chamber septic tank, the removal efficiencies of COD, NH4+-N, and PO43-P were 61.95%, 88.32%, and 95.36%, respectively. This study provided an optional treatment technology of rural sewage, and future research should focus on the algae separation and recovery in practical applications.

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Data Availability Statement

All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National natural science fund (42107427), and the Science and technology foundation of Henan Province (222102320426).

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Go to Journal of Environmental Engineering
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 150Issue 9September 2024

History

Received: Oct 4, 2023
Accepted: Mar 28, 2024
Published online: Jun 25, 2024
Published in print: Sep 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Nov 25, 2024

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Zhaoxu Peng [email protected]
Professor, School of Water Conservancy and Transportation, Zhengzhou Univ., Zhengzhou 450001, China (corresponding author). Email: [email protected]
Fanchao Meng [email protected]
School of Water Conservancy and Transportation, Zhengzhou Univ., Zhengzhou 450001, China. Email: [email protected]
School of Water Conservancy and Transportation, Zhengzhou Univ., Zhengzhou 450001, China. Email: [email protected]
Zhengzhou Univ. Multi-Functional Design and Research Academy Co. Ltd., Zhengzhou 450002, China. Email: [email protected]
Professor, School of Ecology and Environment, Zhengzhou Univ., Zhengzhou 450001, China. Email: [email protected]
Professor, School of Ecology and Environment, Zhengzhou Univ., Zhengzhou 450001, China. Email: [email protected]

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