In addition to ammonia, this class of effluents commonly contain amines and proteins which, when broken down by oxidation, form ammonia in solution. Ammoniacal wastes are produced by a number of industries including many food processors and abattoirs. Landfill sites produce leachates that often have high levels of ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4-N) resulting from the purifaction of organic substances over a long period of time, a process known as acetogenisis.
Municipal wastewater treatment works produce sewage sludge and the dewatering process produces an aqueous waste with extremely high ammonia content. Typically this concentrated liquor is returned to the treatment works, applying high and irregular loads that can be difficult to control. Conventional treatment methods to remove nitrogen include ion exchange and ammonia stripping, but these are only separation processes that produce a concentrate, whereas, DIAMOX actually breaks down ammoniacal nitrogen by electrochemical means, converting it into harmless nitrogen gas.
Advanced Oxidation Diamox cells have been tested on landfill leachate, effectively removing ammonia and COD with very obvious results.
| Landfill leachate | COD(mg/l) | pH | NH3(mg/l) |
|---|---|---|---|
| As received | 4,380 | 8.36 | 1,512 |
| After treatment | 1,350 | 8.86 | 0 |
Ammonia Removal: Case Study
| Nitrous Oxide Waste | NH3(mg/l) | pH | CL- |
|---|---|---|---|
| As received | 6,750 | 7.79 | 32,000 |
| After treatment | 0 | 8.06 | 29,500 |
Pesticide Removal
Diamox cells have also proved extremely effective at the treatment of water contaminated with pesticides, particularly Cypermethrin. For details and a case study, register to use this website.
Register here to view our detailed pages about how Diamox BDD electrodes oxidise wastewater