Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.2478/10004-1254-65-2014-2546
Alkaline disinfection of urban wastewater and landfill leachate by wood fly ash
Tomislav Ivanković
; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Jasna Hrenović
; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Grigorios Itskos
; Nazarbayev University, School of Engineering, Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan
Nikolaos Koukouzas
; Centre for Research and Technology Hellas / Chemical Process and Energy Resources Institute, Ptolemais, Greece
Davor Kovačević
; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Jelena Milenković
; Innovation Centre of the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Abstract
Wood fly ash is an industrial by-product of the combustion of different wood materials and is mostly disposed of as waste on landfills. In our preliminary experiments, wood ash exhibited antibacterial activity against urban wastewater bacteria and we focused on wood fly ash as a potential substrate for wastewater disinfection. The addition of ash at a concentration of 10 g L-1 (1 %) caused an instant increase of pH in urban wastewater and landfill leachate. High pH (10.1–12.7) inactivated bacterial populations in the wastewater and the removal of faecal coliforms and intestinal enterococci after 6 h of contact was 100 % (below the detection limit; <1 CFU per mL) with the most efficient ash sample (ash from combustion of beech) both in urban wastewater and landfill leachate. Properly chosen wood fly ash, i.e. one that tends to increase the pH to the greatest extent, proved to be a very effective disinfection substrate. Considering that water treated with wood ash has a high pH and needs to be neutralised before discharge, ash would be suitable for disinfection of leachates when smaller volumes are treated.
Keywords
faecal coliforms; intestinal enterococci; pH; waste management
Hrčak ID:
130341
URI
Publication date:
9.12.2014.
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