title: Physicochemical treatments of anionic surfactants wastewater: Effect on aerobic biodegradability.
abstract: The effect of different physicochemical treatments on the aerobic biodegradability of an industrial wastewater resulting from a cosmetic industry has been investigated. This industrial wastewater contains 11423 and 3148mgL(-1) of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and anionic surfactants, respectively. The concentration of COD and anionic surfactants were followed throughout the diverse physicochemical treatments and biodegradation experiments. Different pretreatments of this industrial wastewater using chemical flocculation process with lime and aluminium sulphate (alum), and also advanced oxidation process (electro-coagulation (Fe and Al) and electro-Fenton) led to important COD and anionic surfactants removals. The best results were obtained using electro-Fenton process, exceeding 98 and 80% of anionic surfactants and COD removals, respectively. The biological treatment by an isolated strain Citrobacter braakii of the surfactant wastewater, as well as the pretreated wastewater by the various physicochemical processes used in this study showed that the best results were obtained with electro-Fenton pretreated wastewater. The characterization of the treated surfactant wastewater by the integrated process (electro-coagulation or electro-Fenton)-biological showed that it respects Tunisian discharge standards.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Bioprocédés, Pôle d'Excellence Régional AUF (PER-LBP), Centre de Biotechnologie de Sfax, BP: 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Fathi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aloui
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kchaou
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sayadi
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D000534:Alum Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D007220:Industrial Waste; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000534:Alum Compounds; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D007220:Industrial Waste; D010087:Oxides; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C041524:aluminum sulfate; C016538:lime; D010100:Oxygen