Evaluation of Efficiently Removing Secondary Effluent Organic Matters (EfOM) by Al-Based Coagulant for Wastewater Recycling: A Case Study with an Industrial-Scale Food-Processing Wastewater Treatment Plant

The reuse of wastewater has been identified as an important initiative for the sustainable development of the environment; thus, the removal of secondary effluent organic matter (EfOM) to ensure the safety of reused wastewater is the key step and a subject of extensive research. In this study, Al-2(SO4)(3) and anionic polyacrylamide were selected as coagulant and flocculant, respectively, for the treatment of secondary effluent from a food-processing industry wastewater treatment plant to meet the standard regulatory specifications for water reuse. In this process, the removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD), components with UV254, and specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) were 44.61%, 25.13%, and 9.13%, respectively, with an associated reduction in chroma and turbidity. The fluorescence intensities (Fmax) of two humic-like components were reduced during coagulation, and microbial humic-like components of EfOM had a better removal efficiency because of a higher Log Km value of 4.12. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that Al-2(SO4)(3) could remove the protein fraction of the soluble microbial products (SMP) of EfOM by forming a loose SMP protein complex with enhanced hydrophobicity. Furthermore, flocculation reduced the aromaticity of secondary effluent. The cost of the proposed secondary effluent treatment was 0.034 CNY t(-1) %COD-1. These results demonstrate that the process is efficient and economically viable for EfOM removal to realize food-processing wastewater reuse.