Integrated Ozonation and Biotreatment of Bio-Treated Pulping Wastewater

Bio-treated pulping wastewater (BTPW) was further treated using a combination of ozonation and biotreatment processes. The effect of ozonation on chemical oxygen demand (CODCr) removal and biodegradability enhancement of the BTPW was investigated. The results showed that the ozonation was effective for degrading the pollutants in the BTPW and improving its biodegradability. The CODCr removal reached approximately 34.8%, and the BOD/COD ratio increased from less than 0.15 to 0.36, after ozonation for 30 min. The raw BTPW biodegrades poorly, and treatment using a combination of ozonation with biotreatment could eliminate most of the refractory substances from the BTPW. The CODCr removal rates of the BTPW were 55.4% and 64.3% for the treatments using ozonation for 30 or 60 min, respectively, before subsequent biotreatment for 14 days. The CODCr removal rates were higher than that of the biological treatment alone by 44.7% and 53.6%, respectively.