Ecosystem Service and Sustainable Watershed Management in North China International Conference, Beijing, P.R.

China, August 23 25, 2000

BIOTECHNICAL TREATMENT SYSTEMS FOR INDUSTRIAL WATER RECYCLING AND REUSE - Combined Anaerobic and Aerobic Treatment of Effluent from the Paper Industry -

Philipp ALTHOEFER
D-50827 Koeln, Germany E-Mail: Palthoe0@smail.uni-koeln.de, Fax: +49 221 583581

Abstract
Forty years ago the pulp and paper industry was known for its high fresh water consumption and its pollution of rivers and lakes. Especially in the paper recycling industry there had been many improvements to reduce the water demand through constricting or closing the water system. The main goal was to reduce the demand of freshwater and the amount of waste water in order to improve the physical, chemical and biological situation of surface waters. Such a reduction of the fresh water consumption by constricting or closing the water system causes an accumulation of dissolved organic and inorganic substances in the process water. The increased organic load in the processed water leads to odour problems in the paper production, which effect the paper quality and also emissions of the paper machines. High contents of agressive salts and increased water hardness have negative effects on stable production conditions. The application of an anaerobic and aerobic technique combined with a suitable water softening method reduces the amount of organic and inorganic substances. The purified water can be reused or discharged. Keywords modern technology, paper industry, pollution control, process water recycling, pulp industry, river pollution, water re-use, water softening

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ACCUMULATION OF DISSOLVED ORGANIC AND INORGANIC SUBSTANCES In the German pulp and paper industry a significant reduction of the fresh water demand from about 100 m3/ton in the sixties to less than 15m3/ton in 1995 took place. Especially in the testliner and corrugated medium producing group a water consumption of less than 5m3/t could be reached (2). Closing the water systems leads to the following problems in the circuit water (3) : high amounts of organic subtances in the process water (high COD, BOD) high amounts of inorganic substances in the process water (high salt contents lead to increased corrosion in machines and pipes and have negative effects on the paper quality high contents of volatile low molecular organic acids lead to odour in the produced paper and the surrounding of the paper factory.

Concentration of dissolved calcium

depending on the fresh water demand
120 100 80 60 40 20 0 4,75

w ater hardness (dH)

5,25

5,75

6,75

7,25

specific fresh w ater demand (m3/t) dH

Fig. 1. Correlation between water hardness and freshwater consumption Figure 1 shows the water hardness in closed water systems depending on the fresh water consumption. To keep up the system closure beside physical and mechanical systems, a biological treatment system can be installed in the water circiut in order to reduce the organic load.

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Beside other anaerobic treatment systems the UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket) is one of the most common systems in Europe. The latest development is a IC (Internal Circulation)-reactor, which is a modified UASB-reactor for higher COD-loads.

Anaerobic Systems
-Distribution in Europe60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

UASB

fixed bed

contact process

fluidized bed

hybrid

Fig. 2. Distribution of anaerobic process water treatment systems in Europe Reference: A guide to successful industrial implementation of biomethanation technologies in the european union, published by the Institute Wallon (Belgium) Therme program of the EU (9/1994), modified.

COD REMOVAL IN 2-STAGE (ANAEROBIC/AEROBIC) TREATMENT SYSTEMS Before entering the anaerobic stage the process water needs to be prepared in a pre-acidification tank, where the nutritients nitrogen and phosphorus are added. Then, at a temperature range of 35-40C, organic material in the process water is converted by anaerobic microorganisms into CH4, CO2, H2S and 3-5% excess sludge (4). Finally effluent of the anaerobic treatment is purified in an activated sludge tank. Fig. 3 shows typical COD-effluent values after an anaerobic treatment. Even higher COD loads in the influent can be reduced to about 800 mg/l COD in the effluent of the anaerobic system. Also odour producing lowmolecular organic acids can be reduced effectivly in this treatment stage.

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Fig. 4 shows the anaerob reactor efficiency at different load-situations. Even at a reactor load of more than 20g COD/l*d a reactor efficiency of about 70% is reached. In Fig.3 and Fig.4 results of an IC-reactor are presented.

COD removal in 2-stage systems

Example of a cardboard factory
6000 5500 5000 4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 1/1999

CO D mg /l

1/1999

2/1999 Influent

2/1999

2/1999

3/1999

3/1999 Aerobic Effluent

4/1999

Anaerobic Effluent

Fig. 3. Variation of COD contenct in process water at a 2-stage system

Anaerob reactor efficiency/-load

Example of a cardboard factory
90 80 Reactor load g COD/l*d Reactor eff. (COD) % 70 60 50 15 40 30 20 10 0 1/1999 2/1999 Reactor load 2/1999 Reactor efficiency 3/1999 0 10 5 25 20 30

Fig. 4. Efficiency of the anaerob reactor at different load-situations

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HIGH

CONTENTS

OF

CALCIUM

IN

THE

PROCESS

WATER

AS

CONSEQUENCE OF A CLOSED WATER SYSTEM Calcium carbonate used as filler and pigment is always present in recovered paper depending on the degree of system closure and on the waste paper grades used (2). As already mentioned, Calcium carbonate occurs on surfaces of machines and pipes which leads to circulation and corrosion problems. Calcium carbonate may also have negative effects on the anaerobic digestion. By precipitating in the anaerobic reactor the biomass can be reduced in its activity. Further an increased water hardness has negative effects on stable production conditions (paper quality and runnability). For these reasons it is necessary to control the calcium content in the process water. With a new developed aerobic system an effective reduction of the water hardness is possible. Fig. 5 shows first results of this new water softening method at different processing times.

Process water of a cardboard factory

Reduction of COD and water hardness
900 800 700 COD (mg/l) 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 0 1 2 2,8 time (h) COD dH 4 5,6 9,33 60 w ater hardness (dH) 50 40 30 20 10 0 20

Fig. 5. Efficiency of a newly developed water softening method for reduction of process water hardness

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CONCLUSION The most important reasons to install combined anaerobic and aerobic treatment systems are the production of biogas and the reduced production of excess sludge while the anaerobic digestion. The energetic use of the biogas covers more than the energy demand of the anaerobic/aerobic treatment plant, the energy surplus can be used in the production process (1). The high organic load in the process water can be reduced to a level, which allows to reuse the purified water. Increased water hardness can be reduced with the presented new aerobic method. This system has low operation costs and needs no further chemical aid. All described methods allow to run a paper factory at a very low fresh water demand. The reduced amount of waste water improves the physical, chemical and biological situation of surface waters. In order to use recycled paper in future, it is necessary to implement the mentioned techniques, because recycled paper already has a high load of organic and inorganic substances.

If it is not otherwise mentioned, all figures are based on data of the author.

REFERENCES 1. Gttsching, L., Hamm, U., Putz, H.-J. Report on best available techniques (BAT) for the production of case making materials, Institute of Paper science and technology, Darmstadt University of Technology: 45, (1998). 2. Gttsching, L. Totally closed white water system in the paper industry: a case study. In: Johan Gullichsen Colloquium Helsinki 4-5- September: 1, 8, (1997). 3. Diedrich, K., Hamm, U., Knelissen, J.H. Biologische Kreislaufwasserbehandlung in einer Papierfabrik mit geschlossenem Wasserkreislauf. In: Das Papier 6A: V153 (1997). 4. Winter, J. Mikrobiologie der anaeroben Abwasserreinigung. Abwassertechnik 1/87: 1421, (1987).

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