Efficient COD degradation of turpentine processing wastewater by combination of Fe-C micro-electrolysis and Fenton treatment: Long-term study and scale up

Turpentine processing industry is one important chemical and forestry industry but during this industrial process, plenty of wastewater with high COD that is difficult to be degraded will be generated. Finding suitable method for this wastewater treatment is necessary for turpentine processing industry. In this study, combination of micro-electrolysis by Fe-C filler and Fenton treatment was used instead of traditional absorption method for turpentine processing wastewater treatment. By both batch and continuous experiments, Fe-C filler showed efficient performance for COD degradation, and excellent operation life and stability. After Fe-C micro-electrolysis, the COD of wastewater can be further degraded by Fenton reaction and following pH adjusting. The wastewater after Fe-C micro-electrolysis and Fenton treatment was suitable for biodegradation. Fe-C micro-electrolysis and Fenton treatment were scaled up and both technologies showed potential for large-scale treatment. Compared with absorption by activated carbon, combination of micro-electrolysis by Fe-C filler and Fenton treatment showed advantages in both cost and operation, and therefore it is promising for industrial application. Overall, one efficient method for turpentine processing wastewater treatment was successfully built, and this technology can solve the environmental issue of current turpentine processing industry and thus promote its development.