Fate kinetic coefficients and correlation models for tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in membrane bioreactors and conventional activated sludge process

摘要

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is a fire retardant with endocrine disruption properties, which unfortunately has been detected in trace amounts in various environmental samples. Studies have shown that TBBPA enters the aquatic environment, sediments, soils and biota predominantly through the wastewater treatment process. The dominant contributor to the fate and transport of TBBPA in wastewater is biosorption by the sludge matrix. Accordingly, the goal of this research was to determine the fate kinetics, biosorption correlation models and mechanisms of TBBPA from both conventional activated sludge (CAS) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems. Experiments were conducted to determine different types of partitioning and fate kinetic coefficients such as solid-liquid phase coefficient, log K-p (4.53), sludge matrix organic carbon coefficient, log K-oc (6.05) and glass wall partition coefficient, K-w (0.053). The experimental values of these coefficients for TBBPA are not available in the literature for application to the models. The biosorption data were also verified and fitted to Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin, Toth, Redlich-Peterson, Sips, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Jovanovic and Dubinin-Radushkevich biosorption isotherm models to estimate the isotherm constants. These coefficients will allow engineering application for validation of various fate models for TBBPA.