Removal of Selenate from Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Wastewater Discharged by Georgia Coal‐Fire Power Plants Using BioFilter with Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)

Primary Faculty Mentor’s Name

George Fu

Proposal Track

Student

Session Format

Poster

Abstract

Flue gas is the gas exiting from coal firing power plants and contains sulphur dioxide (SO2). To ensure that the flue gases are cleaned and free of SO2, they go through a process known as wet scrubbing where the gas is sprayed with a liquid neutralizing agent, lime slurry, to catch SO2, which is called flue gas desulfurization (FGD), The nature of the wet scrubbing process (FGD) requires the use of water and as a result, generates effluent containing varieties of pollutants, including selenite. Selenate is an essential element in the human and animal diet, however too much can be harmful. The effluent produced in FGD is treated to meet USEPA standards then discharged into nearby waterways. The objective of this project is to study if it is feasible to remove selenate from FGD wastewater that was discharged from Georgia coal-fired plants using a granular activated carbon (GAC) biofilter.So far, a bench-scale pilot plant of GAC Biofilter has been set up and operating since September, last month. The microorganisms from Statesboro wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was inoculated onto the surface of virgin GAC via a thorough contact with the mixed liquor and secondary effluent taken from Statesboro WWTP. Then the inoculated GAC was packed into a column. The Georgia Power FGD wastewater sample with addition of methanol as external carbon source has been fed into the GAC Biofilter continually, The wastewater constituents including selenium, nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), , total organic carbon (TOC) have been tested for the influent and effluent of the GAC Biofilter, respectively. So the performance of the GAC Biofilter on the selenium removal can be monitored. The project is on-going and more results will be available when we present at the Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference in mid of November next month.Our hope is to obtain results showing that selenium could be removed significantly by the GAC Biofilter

Location

Concourse/Atrium

Presentation Year

2014

Start Date

11-15-2014 9:40 AM

End Date

11-15-2014 10:55 AM

Publication Type and Release Option

Presentation (Open Access)

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Nov 15th, 9:40 AM Nov 15th, 10:55 AM

Removal of Selenate from Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Wastewater Discharged by Georgia Coal‐Fire Power Plants Using BioFilter with Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)

Concourse/Atrium

Flue gas is the gas exiting from coal firing power plants and contains sulphur dioxide (SO2). To ensure that the flue gases are cleaned and free of SO2, they go through a process known as wet scrubbing where the gas is sprayed with a liquid neutralizing agent, lime slurry, to catch SO2, which is called flue gas desulfurization (FGD), The nature of the wet scrubbing process (FGD) requires the use of water and as a result, generates effluent containing varieties of pollutants, including selenite. Selenate is an essential element in the human and animal diet, however too much can be harmful. The effluent produced in FGD is treated to meet USEPA standards then discharged into nearby waterways. The objective of this project is to study if it is feasible to remove selenate from FGD wastewater that was discharged from Georgia coal-fired plants using a granular activated carbon (GAC) biofilter.So far, a bench-scale pilot plant of GAC Biofilter has been set up and operating since September, last month. The microorganisms from Statesboro wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was inoculated onto the surface of virgin GAC via a thorough contact with the mixed liquor and secondary effluent taken from Statesboro WWTP. Then the inoculated GAC was packed into a column. The Georgia Power FGD wastewater sample with addition of methanol as external carbon source has been fed into the GAC Biofilter continually, The wastewater constituents including selenium, nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), , total organic carbon (TOC) have been tested for the influent and effluent of the GAC Biofilter, respectively. So the performance of the GAC Biofilter on the selenium removal can be monitored. The project is on-going and more results will be available when we present at the Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference in mid of November next month.Our hope is to obtain results showing that selenium could be removed significantly by the GAC Biofilter