ABSTRACT

Poultry slaughterhouse wastewater (PSW) has substantial organic load and nutrient contents, which must be removed before discharge due to being sanitary and environmental hazards. The present study is the first to analyze the individual and synergistic influences of combined hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), different ultraviolet lights (UV-A/UV-C), inorganic compound catalysts of titanium and zinc oxides (TiO₂/ZnO), and ultrasound (US) processes on ammonia and phosphorus elimination from PSW using a Taguchi L₃₆ orthogonal array. The results showed that, compared to other processes in isolation, the integrated process of H₂O₂, US, and heterogeneous photocatalysis (HPC) is significantly more effective at treating PSW in terms of N₄ ⁺ -N removal (52.0%) and PO₄-P elimination (59.5%). Furthermore, electrical energy consumption at 2.67 g^-1 N₄ ⁺ -N US$ and 2.14 g^-1 PO₄-P US$ was determined to be the most significant factor in the operating cost of the system, while the average chemical cost under optimal conditions was 0.34 US$/g. In general, the results indicate that the effectiveness of removing pollutants is directly influenced by the pH, catalyst concentration, and duration of the operation. Additionally, the presence of different types of pollutants in real wastewater might lead to reduced nutrient removal efficiencies.

Keywords:
Ammonia removal; Cost analysis; Hydrogen peroxide-sono-photocatalysis; Phosphorus elimination; Poultry slaughterhouse wastewater