TITLE:
Systematic Biological Upgrade of a Urea Fertilizer Effluent Treatment Plant Using GPS
AUTHORS:
Isyaku Ahmad, Joseph T. Akintola, Regina J. Patinvoh, Wilson F. Ekpotu, Martins C. Obialor, Philemon Chukwuebuka Udom
KEYWORDS:
Fertilizer Wastewater Effluent, Discharge Basin, Outfall Basin, Physiochemical Analysis, GPS*, Modelling & Simulation
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.13 No.8,
August
31,
2023
ABSTRACT: The use of modeling and simulation has developed into a critical tool for
the sustainable management of wastewater, especially when it comes to
replicating the complex biochemical procedures required for fertilizer effluent
treatment, which calls for a significant amount of wastewater-related data. The
biological improvement of a urea fertilizer
effluent via GPS* simulation was carried out in this work using a methodical
process. Using established analytical techniques, temperature, total
suspended solids (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD), total phosphorus (T/), chemical oxygen demand
(COD), total nitrogen (TN), total nitrate (NO3), electric
conductivity (EC), turbidity, residual
chlorine, urea, NH3, and heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, and Fe)
were assessed. The research revealed that the measured values from the
fertilizer factory outfall effluent had high concentrations of all the
physicochemical water quality indicators,
with the exception of TSS, PO4-, SO4-, and NO3-. These concentrations are
higher compared
to the authorized limits or
suggested values by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA).
To improve the therapy biologically,
however, a modeling and simulation program (GPS-X, version 8.0) was used with
the physicochemical information gathered from the studied sample. The
results of the treated water simulation showed that the concentrations of BOD5 and COD had been significantly reduced by 35% and 44%, respectively.
Additionally, it was discovered that total phosphorus (TP), nitrate (N), and
total nitrogen (TN) were all within the permitted FEPA limit. The results
revealed good treatment performance of the wastewater with increasing concentration of acetic acid and sodium hydroxide. Hence, the results of this research
work identify the need for proper treatment of fertilizer industry effluents prior to
their release into the environment.