Paper machine white water is generally characterized as a high concentration of suspended solids and organic matters. A combined physicochemical-biological and filtration process was used in the study for removing pollutants in the wastewater. The removal efficiency of the pollutant in physicochemical and biological process was evaluated, respectively. Furthermore, advanced technology was used to analyse the water quality before and after the process treatment. Experimental results showed that the removal efficiency of suspend solids (SS) of the system was above 99%, while the physicochemical treatment in the forepart of the system had achieved about 97%. The removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and colour had the similar trend after physicochemical treatment and were corresponding to the proportion of suspended and the near-colloidal organic matter in the wastewater. After biological treatment, the removal efficiency of COD and colour achieved were about 97% and 90%, respectively. Furthermore, molecular weight (MW) distribution analysis showed that after treatment low MW molecules (<5 kDa) increased. Three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence analysis showed that most humic-like substances were effectively removed during the treatment. The analyses of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry showed that the composition of organic matter in the wastewater was not complicated. Methylsiloxanes were the typical organic components in the raw wastewater and most of them were removed after treatment.
Keywords: Paper machine white water; dissolved organic matter; full-scale wastewater treatment plant; pre-coagulation; water quality analysis.