The application of a solar still in domestic and industrial wastewater treatment

Abstract A study on the treatment of sanitary and industrial wastewater by solar still was conducted in Malaysia by UKM (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia) University during November and December 2011 and January 2012. The experiment was performed by feeding three types of wastewater into a solar still. The pilot-scale solar still consisted of a stepped type solar still with an effective area of 0.8 m2. The characteristics of the raw wastewaters indicated that the chemical oxygen demand (COD) was high at 425 mg/L for sanitary wastewater and 2650 mg/L for diluted industrial wastewater and that the maximum turbidity was between 150 and 820 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units) for both types of wastewater. The results showed that the condensate COD was between 2 and 86 mg/L for the different types of feed. The COD removal efficiency of the still was greater than 86.83 ± 3.45%. It was shown that the condensate quality in terms of total dissolved solids (TDSs), total suspended solids (TSSs), COD and turbidity matched the quality of high-grade water and it is suitable to discharge to surface water. The method was also successful in removing bacteria. Heterotrophic bacteria counts were enumerated to determine the inactivation percentage of HPC (Heterotrophic plate counts). A reduction greater than 86.75 ± 10.88% for HPC was achieved.

[1]  Abdul Majeed Muzathik,et al.  Reference Solar Radiation Year and Some Climatology Aspects of East Coast of West Malaysia , 2010 .

[2]  M. H. Ahmad,et al.  Impact Of Solar Radiation On High-Rise Built Form In Tropical Climate , 2004 .

[3]  Dias Haralambopoulos,et al.  Solar distillation of olive mill wastewater , 2004 .

[4]  Basel I. Ismail,et al.  Design and performance of a transportable hemispherical solar still , 2009 .

[5]  Monto Mani,et al.  An Integrated Assessment Of The Suitability Of Domestic Solar Still As A Viable Safe Water Technology For India , 2008 .

[6]  A. E. Greenberg,et al.  Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater seventh edition , 2013 .

[7]  M. El-Kady,et al.  Desalination in Egypt and the future application in supplementary irrigation , 2001 .

[8]  Adrian T. Hanson,et al.  Distillate water quality of a single-basin solar still: laboratory and field studies , 2004 .

[9]  K. Srithar,et al.  Industrial effluent treatment: Theoretical and experimental analysis , 2011 .

[10]  Abdulhaiy M. Radhwan,et al.  Transient performance of a stepped solar still withbuilt-in latent heat thermal energy storage , 2005 .

[11]  F. Suja,et al.  Feasibility studies for using a solar still on Sarkhon Gas Refinery wastewater recovery , 2011 .

[12]  Analysis of a ventilated solar evaporator for concentrating dilute hazardous waste , 1990 .

[13]  Kamaruzzaman Sopian,et al.  A new approach for predicting solar radiation in tropical environment using satellite images - Case study of Malaysia , 2008 .

[14]  Soteris A. Kalogirou,et al.  Seawater desalination using renewable energy sources , 2005 .

[15]  Dias Haralambopoulos,et al.  Dewatering of wastewater sludge through a solar still , 2002 .