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Dissolved air flotation for treating wastewater of the nuclear industry: preliminary results

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Abstract

Preliminary testing of dissolved air flotation (DAF) for wastewater treatment is presented. A combined coagulation-flocculation/DAF column system is used to remove oil and 60Co from nuclear industry wastewater. In this work, operational conditions and coagulant/flocculant concentrations are optimized by varying pH. Determinations of air-solids ratio (G/S), retention time (θ), pressure (P), volume of depressurized air–water mixture (V), turbidity and 60Co concentrations are reported. The effect of the treatment on the efficiency of separation of oily residues is also discussed. The results establish that the coagulant/flocculant system, formed by a modified polyamine (25 mgL−1) and a slightly cationic polyacrylamide (1.5 mgL−1), under specific operational conditions (pH = 7, mixing intensity Im1 = 300 s−1 and Im2 = 30 s−1), allowed the destabilization of colloidal matter, resulting in resistant flocs. It was concluded that by using G/S = 0.3, θ = 15 min, P = 620 kPa and V = 0.0012 m3, the greatest percentage removals of oil, turbidity, total cobalt and 60Co were obtained. These preliminary results then show that dissolved air flotation represents a good alternative for treatment of nuclear industry wastewater contaminated with radionuclides.

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Acknowledgments

This work is part of the departmental activity of the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ). H. B. Ortiz-Oliveros is grateful to ININ, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT) and Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM). The technicians of ININ are also acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Gerencia de Ciencias Ambientales, Apartado Postal 18-1027, 11801, México, DF, México

    H. B. Ortiz-Oliveros, R. M. Flores-Espinosa & H. Jiménez-Domínguez

  2. Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca, México

    H. B. Ortiz-Oliveros & M. C. Jiménez-Moleón

  3. Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, 14 Sur y San Claudio, Ciudad Universitaria, 72570, Puebla, México

    D. Cruz-González

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  1. H. B. Ortiz-Oliveros
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  2. R. M. Flores-Espinosa
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  3. H. Jiménez-Domínguez
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  4. M. C. Jiménez-Moleón
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Correspondence to H. B. Ortiz-Oliveros.

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Ortiz-Oliveros, H.B., Flores-Espinosa, R.M., Jiménez-Domínguez, H. et al. Dissolved air flotation for treating wastewater of the nuclear industry: preliminary results. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 292, 957–965 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-1682-5

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