Removal of trichloroethylene from water by biological and ultrasonic processes

Abstract

This paper emphasized the new approach of groundwater drinking water source recovery. Experimental tests were focused to remove trichloroethylene from water. Many countries have underground water polluted with TCE and Romania has some. The treatment proposed flow is based on biological treatment: biological granular activated sludge followed by sludge separation (settling/filtration) and ultrasonication (sonolysis) of the liquid separated phase. Laboratory experimental tests showed that removal efficiencies of TCE had the optimal conditions: biological sludge dose 360 mg/L, two hours reaction time, five minutes of ultrasonication (20 kHz, 5000 kJ energy) for 0.262 mg TCE/L initial concentration (removal yield was 97%).