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Modeling of wastewater treatment by Azolla filiculoides using response surface methodology

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Abstract

Introduction

Due to the population growth and reduction of water resources, wastewater treatment and reuse vital. As the secondary wastewater treatment processes enable removes a significant amount of P and N, nutrient-rich effluents can cause eutrophication in water bodies. On the other hand, nutrients removal in sewage treatment using mechanical methods is costly and complex. The aquaculture method using Azolla filiculoides could be an appropriate option for removing total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from wastewater.

Materials and methods

Synthetic wastewater has been prepared in the typical range of municipal wastewater. Two g fresh weight of an acclimatized A.filiculoides was floated in sample bowls each one containing 500 CC prepared wastewater. Total nitrogen, TP, and COD removal by Azolla filiculoides for 21-days were optimized and investigated using the response surface methodology (RSM). For this aim, the D-optimal method was used to optimize the three independent variables (TP concentration (10.8–84.6 mg l− 1), TN concentration (20–99 mg l− 1), and COD concentration (66.26–415 mg l− 1)) for their maximum removal efficiency of them. Experiments were performed on 28 runs in which independent variables were measured using a HACH DR 5000 spectrometer.

Results

Predicted R-squared for COD, TP, TN removal, and Azolla mass (responses) have been equal to -0.0897, 0.8514, 0.7779, and 0.5645, respectively. The model was used to maximize Azolla growth and maximize removal efficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus, and COD that occurred in minimum concentrations of TN (20 mg l− 1), TP (10.8 mg l− 1), and COD (66.26 mg l− 1). The removal efficiency of Azolla was obtained 77.5 % for COD, 66.8 % for TP, and 78.1 % for TN in the optimum condition of independent variables. Also, increase of Azolla mass was 239 %, with desirability of 0.66. The difference between model prediction and model validation testing for Azolla mass increase, COD, TN, and TP removal was equal to ± 11.6 %, ± 7.9 %, ± 0.0 %, and ± 1.9 %, respectively.

Conclusions

Azolla could remove phosphorus in nitrogen deficiency or even lack of nitrogen. Results indicate that removal efficiency has an upward trend as the Azolla growth increases. This kind of fern has a significant effect on removing nitrogen, phosphorus, and COD from an aqueous solution. The removal efficiency of TN, TP, and COD at optimum operating conditions showed good agreement with model-predicted removal efficiency.

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Acknowledgements

The authors like to acknowledge the Zanjan University of Medical Sciences for their financial support of this project with N. A-12-124-5. The ethics committee has ethically approved this university with the registration code number of ZUMS.REC.1393.232.

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  1. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran

    Samaneh Taghilou, Mazyar Peyda & Mohammad Reza Mehrasbi

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  1. Samaneh Taghilou
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Correspondence to Mazyar Peyda.

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Taghilou, S., Peyda, M. & Mehrasbi, M.R. Modeling of wastewater treatment by Azolla filiculoides using response surface methodology. J Environ Health Sci Engineer 19, 1723–1733 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40201-021-00727-5

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