Metallic wastewater treatment by sulfate reduction using anaerobic rotating biological contactor reactor under high metal loading conditions

Highlights

An-RBC reactor is highly suited to treat metallic wastewater.

Metal removal is due to sulfide precipitation via sulfate reduction by SRB.

Cu(II) removal was the best among the different heavy metals.

Maximum metal removal is achieved at low metal loading condition.

Metal removal matched well with the solubility product values of respective metal sulfide salts.

Abstract

This study was aimed at investigating the performance of anaerobic rotating biological contactor reactor treating synthetic wastewater containing a mixture of heavy metals under sulfate reducing condition. Statistically valid factorial design of experiments was carried out to understand the dynamics of metal removal using this bioreactor system. Copper removal was maximum (>98%), followed by other heavy metals at their respective low inlet concentrations. Metal loading rates less than 3.7 mg/L∙h in case of Cu(II); less than 1.69 mg/L∙h for Ni(II), Pb(II), Zn(II), Fe(III) and Cd(II) are favorable to the performance of the An-RBC reactor. Removal efficiency of the heavy metals from mixture depended on the metal species and their inlet loading concentrations. Analysis of metal precipitates formed in the sulfidogenic bioreactor by field emission scanning electron microscopy along with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM-EDX) confirmed metal sulfide precipitation by SRB. All these results clearly revealed that the attached growth biofilm bioreactor is well suited for heavy metal removal from complex mixture.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Factorial design analysis / sulfate reducing bacteria / multi-metal solution / heavy metal removal / anaerobic rotating biological contactor reactor / high metal loading.

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Acknowledgements

Authors gratefully acknowledge Centre for the Environment, IIT Guwahati, Assam, India, for providing the facilities to carry out the reactor studies and the Central Instruments Facility, IIT Guwahati, Assam, India, for FESEM-EDX analysis of the samples. Authors also thank Mr. Partha Protim Bakal for his help with heavy metal analysis.

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