ATomasiniO

Vol. 3, No. 1, 1-10, 2010
ISSN 0718-378X

REVISTA AIDIS
de Ingeniería y Ciencias Ambientales:
Investigación, desarrollo y práctica.

TRATAMIENTO BIOLÓGICO CON BIOMASA
SUSPENDIDA ANAEROBIO/AEROBIO DE UN AGUA
REAL TEXTILERA CON COLORANTE AZO

Ana Cecília Tomasini Ortiz 1 *
Gabriela Eleonor Moeller Chávez 1

BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT WITH SUSPENDED ANAEROBIC/AEROBIC BIOMASS
OF A REAL TEXTILE WASTEWATERWITH AZO DYES
ABSTRACT
Wastewater treatment from dyes of textile industry is a great environmental problem, to which a lot of attention has been given
because many of this products used for dying in the textile industry are toxic. Such is de case of azo dyes, most of them are toxic and
non-biodegradable and they are discharged to water bodies and channels with no change in there structure andremaining for long
periods in the stream.
As a pretreatment to this wastewater a coagulation – flocculation process was applied and then a sequenced anaerobic + aerobic +
granular activated carbon (GAC), using the last step as a polish treatment. Global COD removal efficiency of 92% was achieved (21% for
the anaerobic step, 79% for global anaerobic + aerobic step and 92% for the anaerobic +aerobic + GAC). Related to color removal this
had 97% removal efficiency. For BOD5 a 74% removal was achieved for the anaerobic step, and a 89% for the anaerobic + aerobic step
and 98% efficiency was achieved for the global process. For TOC the removal efficiency achieved for the anaerobic effluent was 53%
and 78% for the anaerobic + aerobic stage and 98% for the global process (anaerobic + aerobic +GAC).
Related to the toxicity test, this was measured by Vibrio fischerii, Daphnia magna and Selenastrun capricornutum bioassays.
Toxicity results were different depending on the used bioassay. Using Vibrio fischerii the measured toxicity was high, after GAC filtration
the toxicity was not detected. Using Daphnia magna the results reported moderate toxicity for the influent and anaerobiceffluent.
Toxicity was not detected after the aerobic treatment and also for the global sequenced treatment. For Selenastrum capricornutum
moderate toxicity was reported for the influent and anaerobic effluent, not toxicity was detected for the anaerobic + aerobic effluent,
and for the global sequenced process (anaerobic + aerobic + GAC) a moderate toxicity was reported.
Key Words: Azo dyes, biologictreatment, flocculation, toxicity.

1

Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua

* Contact Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua, Paseo Cuauhnáhuac Nº 8532, Progreso, Jiutepec, Mor. C.P.62550, México.
52(777)329-36-00, ext. 377; FAX. 52(777)329-36-63; mail: atomasini@tlaloc.imta.mx; gmoeller@tlaloc.imta.mx

Investigación, desarrollo y práctica. 
Vol. 3, No. 1, 1 - 10, 2010

 TRATAMIENTO BIOLÓGICO CON BIOMASA SUSPENDIDA 
ANAEROBIO/AEROBIO DE UN AGUA REAL TEXTILERA CON COLORANTE AZO 
 
Biological treatment with suspended anaerobic/aerobic  
biomass of a real textile wastewater with azo dyes 
 
 
ABSTRACT 
Wastewater treatment from dyes of textile industry is a great environmental problem, to which 
a  lot  of  attention  has  been  given  because  many  of  this  products  used for  dying  in  the  textile 
industry are toxic. Such is de case of azo dyes, most of them are toxic and non‐biodegradable 
and  they  are  discharged  to  water  bodies  and  channels  with  no  change  in  there  structure  and 
remaining for long periods in the stream. 
 
As a pretreatment to this wastewater a coagulation – flocculation process was applied and then 
a  sequenced  anaerobic  + aerobic  +  granular  activated  carbon  (GAC),  using  the  last  step  as  a 
polish  treatment.  Global  COD  removal  efficiency  of  92%  was  achieved  (21%  for  the  anaerobic 
step,  79%  for  global  anaerobic  +  aerobic  step  and  92%  for  the  anaerobic  +  aerobic  +  GAC). 
Related  to  color  removal  this  had  97%  removal  efficiency.  For  BOD5  a  74%  removal  was ...