Abstract
This study proposed the method of phosphate recovery from municipal wastewater by using ferrous iron waste, generated from the mechanical process in the steel industry. In the analysis of XRD, ferrous iron waste was composed of $Fe_3O_4$ (magnetite), practically with $Fe^{2+}$ and $Fe^{3+}$. It had inverse spinel structure. In order to identify the adsorption characteristic of phosphate on ferrous iron waste, isotherm adsorption test was designed. Experimental results were well analyzed by Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm theories. Empirical constants of all isotherms applied increased with alkalinity in the samples, ranging from 1.2 to 235 $CaCO_3/L$. In the regeneration test, empirical constants of Langmuir isotherm, i.e., $q_{max}$ (maximum adsorption capacity) and b (energy of adsorption) decreased as the frequency of regeneration was increased. Experiment was further performed to evaluate the performance of the treatment scheme of chemical precipitation by ferrous iron waste followed by biological aerated filter (BAF). The overall removal efficiency in the system increased up to 80% and 90% for total phosphate (TP) and soluble phosphate (SP), respectively, and the corresponding effluent concentrations were detected below 2 mg/L and 1 mg/L for TP and SP, respectively. However, short-circuit problem was still unsolved operational consideration in this system. The practical concept applied in this study will give potential benefits in achieving environmentally sound wastewater treatment as well as environmentally compatible waste disposal in terms of closed substance cycle waste management.
본 연구에서는 철가공 산업에서 배출되는 폐산화철을 활용하여 인 흡착특성을 평가하였다. 또한 도시하수 대상으로 폐산화철 접촉조를 적용한 생물반응조 공정의 운전 가능성을 평가하여 다음과 같은 결론을 얻었다. 1. 폐산화철의 표면특성은 inverse spinel 결정구조인 $Fe_3O_4(FeO{\cdot}Fe_2O_3)$가 주된 형태인 것으로 확인되었다. 2. 폐산화철의 인 흡착특성은 용액의 알칼리도에 따라 다소 차이를 보이나 Freundlich 과 Langmuir 등온흡착 이론식이 잘 적용되었다. 폐산화철의 인 흡착은 알칼리도에 영향을 받는다. 3. 폐산화철의 재생 횟수가 증가할수록 폐산화철의 흡착 특성은 상이하였으며, Freundlich 등온흡착식이 Langmuir 등온흡착식 보다 더 높은 상관성 및 유의성을 보였다. 또한 재생이 반복될수록 흡착능은 감소하였다. 4. 단일 BAF 시스템 운전시보다 폐산화철 접촉조를 적용한 BAF 시스템이 인 처리효율을 약 40%정도 향상시켰으며, 유출수는 총인(TP) 2 mg/L, 용존 인(SP) 1 mg/L 이내로 방류수 법적 기준치를 만족시킬 수 있었다. 5. 상기의 연구결과 폐산화철을 적용할 경우 인 제거가 안정적이며 제거효율이 높은 것으로 판단되며, 대체 흡착제로 활용 가능성이 높을 뿐만 아니라 폐자원의 활용이라는 환경 경제적인 측면에서도 그 가능성이 높은 것으로 판단된다.