Determining the efficiency of plastic, rubber and electronic waste in municipal wastewater treatment

Increasing wastewater production and increasing waste production are major threats to human health and the environment; therefore, wastewater treatment and waste reuse should be done. This study aimed to determine the efficiency of plastic, rubber, and electronic wastes for municipal wastewater treatment by the microbial electrochemical method.

This experimental-practical research was done on a pilot scale. Impacts of time and initial characteristics (temperature, pH, and EC) on the treatment efficiency were investigated. During the research, sampling (twice a week) was done from the input and output of the reactor, and BOD   , COD, TSS, pH, and EC parameters were measured according to the standard methods. The results were analyzed by Excel 2010 software.

Mean BOD 5 , COD, and TSS in raw sewage were 227, 302, and 274 mg/l. BOD5 removal efficiencies by electronic, rubber, plastic and control wastes were 72.46, 69.74, 60.82, and 62.17%, respectively. Electronic wastes with 55.52% and 79.96% had the highest removal efficiencies of TSS and COD, respectively.

Bed material affects BOD 5 removal efficiency. Substrates with electronic wastes and crumb rubber had a higher efficiency in removing BOD 5 , TSS, and COD, which shows the superior characteristics of wastewater treatment by these wastes.