Pilot-scale demonstration of the hybrid zero-valent iron process for treating flue-gas-desulfurization wastewater: part I

Water Sci Technol. 2013;67(1):16-23. doi: 10.2166/wst.2012.446.

Abstract

The hybrid zero-valent-iron (hZVI) process is a novel chemical treatment process that has shown great potential in previous laboratory and field bench-top scale tests for removing selenium, mercury and nutrients from various industrial wastewaters. In this study, a pilot-scale demonstration was conducted to continuously treat 3.8-7.6 L/min (1-2 gpm) of the flue-gas-desulfurization (FGD) wastewater at a coal-fired power plant for five months. Results show that the hZVI process could simultaneously reduce selenate-Se from 1 to 3 mg/L to below 10 μg/L and mercury from over 100 μg/L to below 10 ng/L in compliance with the new stringent effluent discharge limits planned by the U.S. EPA for Se and Hg. A three-stage hZVI system with a combined hydraulic retention time of 12 h is sufficient for Se treatment, while a single-stage system can meet Hg treatment requirement. The successful pilot study demonstrated that the hZVI process is scalable and could be a reliable, low-cost, high-performance treatment platform with many application potentials, particularly, for solving some of the toughest heavy metal water problems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Industrial Waste
  • Iron / chemistry*
  • Mercury / chemistry
  • Pilot Projects
  • Selenium / chemistry
  • Sulfur / chemistry*
  • Time Factors
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*
  • Water / chemistry
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / chemistry*

Substances

  • Industrial Waste
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Water
  • Sulfur
  • Iron
  • Mercury
  • Selenium