Treatment of fertilizer industry wastewater by catalytic peroxidation process using copper-loaded SBA-15.

The present study reports use of the catalytic peroxidation (CPO) method for treatment of actual fertilizer industry wastewater (FIW) by using copper-loaded Santa Barbara amorphous-15 (Cu/SBA-15) catalyst. FIW consists of toxic nitrogenous and phosphorus containing compounds that are not easily degraded by the conventional physicochemical and biological treatment methods. In the present study, Box-Behnken (BB) experimental design methodology was used for optimization of three independent parameters namely catalytic dose (m), initial pH (pHo), and H2O2 concentration. Maximum 83% COD removal was obtained at m = 4.5 g L(-1), pHo = 9.2 and H2O2 concentration = 2.0 mL L(-1). Wastewater and catalyst recovered at optimum treatment condition were characterized by various techniques. UV-visible and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques were used for understanding the treatment mechanism. Textural and thermogravimetric (TGA/DTA) analysis were used for determining the characteristic of catalyst before and after treatment. The stability and performance of the Cu/SBA-15 catalyst was also determined by using the reusability tests.