Strategies for Toxicity Reduction in Industrial Wastewaters

In view of legislation in the U.S.A., industrial waste waters might require treatment for removal of priority pollutants and toxic compounds. The procedure for evaluating the most appropriate technologies for reducing point-source toxicity, based on the assumption that the waste water contained both organic and inorganic compounds is described. Possible treatment methods are outlined, including treatment and control at source, biological treatment (which would remove compounds by stripping, adsorption and biodegradation), and adsorption on activated carbon. Details of the fed batch reactor (FBR) procedure for evaluating the biodegradability and toxicity to biological treatment of a waste water are given.