Forward Osmosis Process as an Alternative Method for the Biological Treatment of Wastewater from the Al-Za'afaraniya Tanning Factory

Abstract

In this paper,the application of the forward osmosis process as a new and alternative way to the biological method were used in the treatment of industrial waste effluent from the Tanning  plant in the area of Zafaraniya at Baghdad city. The operation of forward osmosis process depends on the concentrations difference on both sides of the membrane. Two samples of wastewater were used as feed solution representative of the nature of Tanning Plant wastes, with the preparation of NaCl-H₂O as a draw solution.

The results showed that the water flux decreases with increasing the operating time of process. As well as increasing the concentration of pollutants which were TSS, TDS, BOD, COD,Cl^-1, TH,Na⁺¹, SO₄^-2,NO₃^-1,Cr^-3with the passage of time. The results explained that the first sample (lowest concentration)has a higher water flux comparing with the second sample (highest concentration).The recovery percentage was 74.02 % and 67.01 % through three hours of operating time for the first and second samples respectively. Also the values of flux has been calculated through the membrane by using the theoretical equations, with taking into consideration the concentration polarization effect and compared it with the value of experimental results. The forward osmosis process led to the recovery of pure water from the wastewater, which can be used for different purposes, and separate the pollutants at high concentrations (as sludge).