Investigating the reduction of BTEX in automotive paint sludge combined with biological sludge by vermicomposting process using Eisenia fetida
Journal Title: Environmental Health Engineering and Management Journal - Year 2021, Vol 8, Issue 2
Abstract
Background: Due to the fact that in the process of car painting in the automotive industry, sludge containing dangerous compounds of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene which cannot be released into the environment without purification, is inevitably produced, this study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of removing BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) from the paint sludge of Saipa Automotive Company using Eisenia fetida worms. Methods: This is an experimental study. First, mixtures with different proportions of sludge were prepared and loaded in suitable boxes. After preparing the desired sludge, their quantitative and qualitative characteristics were determined in terms of type and amount of BTEX, volatile materials, moisture content, and C/N ratio. Then, to check the changes in BTEX, sampling was performed on different days during 90 days. BTEX measurements were performed using GC-MS method (NIOSH Method 1501). Results: The results showed that in the best mixing ratio of sludge, the amount of benzene decreased from 3 mg to less than 0.01 mg in 30 days, toluene decreased from 1.5 mg to zero over a 45-day period, ethyl benzene was reduced from 7 mg to zero mg over 70 days, and xylene decreased from 18 mg to 0.9 mg over 90 days. In addition, in the same optimal mixing ratio, the amount of volatile organic matter, pH, and C/N ratio also had a decreasing trend in the vermicomposting process. Conclusion: According to the results, E. fetida worms are able to work in mixed sludge and have the ability to break down BTEX.
Authors and Affiliations
Rahman Ghomi Avili, Afshin Takdastan, Farideh Atabi, Ghasem Ali Omrani
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP695562
- DOI 10.34172/EHEM.2021.12
- Views 95
- Downloads 0
Assessment of heavy metals profile in feathers of birds from Kano metropolis, Nigeria, in 2019
Background: Contamination by heavy metals has been a major threat locally, regionally, and globally because it affects the structural and functional properties of an environment. The aim of the study was to assess the...
Impact of chlorpyrifos toxicity on gill damage of two species of freshwater fish in Lake Diatas
Background: Lake Diatas is one of the important lake which is influenced by agricultural activities around the lake, and chlorpyrifos is widely used as a pesticide in this area. This study aimed to analyze the damage of...
Outdoor PM2.5 and their water-soluble ions in the Northern part of the Persian Gulf
Background: The environmental conditions potentially predispose the northern part of the Persian Gulf to the occurrence of dust storms. Outdoor PM2.5 and their water-soluble ions in Bushehr port were studied from Decem...
Frequency and antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pullorum among exposed and non-exposed population
Background: Helicobacter pullorum can infect the intestinal tracts of both humans and avian species. This study aimed to assess the frequency and antibiotic resistance of H. pullorum isolated from workers in the poultry...
Application of Taguchi’s experimental design method for optimization of Acid Red 18 removal by electrochemical oxidation process
Background: Electro-oxidation is developed as an electrochemical method to overcome the problems of the conventional decolorization technologies and is an appropriate alternative for the treatment of colored wastewater...