Treatment of Liquid Effluents from Post-Harvest Flowers Through Advanced Oxidation

Flowers are considered one of the industries that generate a significant economic contribution in Ecuador; however, the production and manufacturing processes produce considerable contamination of the effluents that are used, due to the fact that various non-biodegradable organic chemical products are involved. These effluents must be treated before being disposed of in the sewer or in a receiving body to minimize the environmental impact. The toxicity of the effluents does not allow the application of biological treatments in this type of water. Therefore, the application of advanced oxidation processes is recommended. This document proposes to find a treatment train that allows to reduce a high percentage of the chemical oxygen demand of the floriculture effluent. For the experiment, a sample of the effluent from the postharvest process of a floriculture with an average initial DOQ of 60850 mg/L was taken to carry out laboratory-scale tests of a treatment train: coagulation, ozone oxidation, Fenton oxidation, and UV oxidation. Treated water was obtained with an average COD concentration of 413 mg/L, thus ensuring compliance with current environmental regulations in Ecuador.