Application of Zero-Valent Iron Technology in Paper Mill Effluent Treatment

With the increasingly stringent effluent standard, pulp and papermaking industry faces great pressure from effluent treatment. In this paper, the effluent production process in pulp and papermaking industry and researches applying zero-valent iron (Fe(0)) to treat the effluent were introduced. Problems existed at the present time in Fe(0) engineering application and possible solutions were discussed. Researches indicated that chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color removal rate of pulp and papermaking effluent were from 52% to 93% and 50% to 98.7% respectively, and biodegradability of the effluent obviously increased after Fe(0) treatment. Based on these results, it is expected that Fe(0) is a promising treatment technology for pulp and papermaking effluent, and its engineering application should be further studied and promoted.