The concentrates of coking effluents are toxic and technically challenging to treat. Environmental protection demands an efficient and cost-effective technique for coking wastewater treatment. The intertidal marine macro alga Ulva prolifera has a high tolerance to various environmental stresses. In this study, U. prolifera was collected from an intertidal field and tested in a laboratory-scale photobioreactor for potential bioremediation of coking effluent concentrate. Algal physiology and water quality were measured. During treatment, the quantum yield Fv/Fm and effective quantum yield Y(II) values showed 12% and 15% decreases in 24 h, respectively, and a complete recovery in 168 h. The algal physiological characteristics indicated that light irradiance provided in a sine pattern of enhanced algal growth by 53% in the coking concentrate. The removal efficiency for total nitrogen and total phosphorus was up to 26.1% and 68.5% in 24 h, respectively. It also showed high removal efficiencies for some heavy metals, chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, and nutrients within 24 h. The feasibility of using U. prolifera for coking concentrate treatment was also considered. This study provided a possible bioremediation technique for wastewater treatment, especially for concentrates of coking effluent, in the coking industry.
Absorptive process and biological activity of Ulva prolifera and algal bioremediation of coking effluent
