نبذة مختصرة : Mestrado em Engenharia do Ambiente - Instituto Superior de Agronomia ; Cork production is intrinsically connected to Portugal, the world leader in the market. Natural cork stoppers are the main product associated to this activity and their production process generates low biodegradability wastewaters, namely during cork boiling and stoppers washing. The recalcitrant compounds present in these type of wastewaters, such as phenolic compounds, are the main responsible for its high toxicity and consequent low biodegradability, therefore conventional biological treatment plants aren´t the suitable for this kind of effluent. The goal of this study was to identify and characterize quantitatively and qualitatively the flows of wastewater in a natural cork stoppers production unit and suggest possible treatment scenarios in order to comply with the legal regulations regarding industrial wastewater discharge into municipal collection system. Exploratory coagulation/flocculation assays were carried out and the best results observed were obtained using a mixture of a conventional coagulant (aluminium sulphate) with a biopolymer (Flox®- QTH by Grove Chemicals) achieving a removal efficiency in COD and total phenols of 74% and 91%, respectively. Photodegration assays carried out in the washing waters achieved interesting results reaching 75% of COD removal The coagulation/flocculation treatment using the mixture of aluminium sulphate and biopolymer proved to be a promising solution, however more assays should be carried out to adjust and optimize the dosages and operational conditions
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