Hydrogen Peroxide As A Supplemental Oxygen
Source in Industrial Waste Treatment
L. DONALD OCHS, Research Engineer
PHILIP J. KELLER, Developmental Specialist
J. VANCE WEATHERSPOON, Senior Engineer
CLIFF BLICK, Senior Chemist
E.L duPont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
Wilmington, Delaware 19899
CHARLES A. COLE, Assistant Professor
Pennsylvania State University
Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057
INTRODUCTION
Aerobic biological processes require some form of oxygenation or aeration to satisfy
the metabolic requirements of the organisms. For instance, trickling filters make use of
natural convective drafts to provide air for mass transfer of oxygen into the liquid phase and
then into the solid phase, biological slime growth. Activated sludge processes, including the
various modifications, use surface aerators, turbines, or diffusers to provide the air for mass
transfer into the liquid and solid phase. The newer processes of activated sludge are using
molecular oxygen instead of air. However, in all these cases, the problem of mass transfer of
oxygen across a gas-liquid interface exists. In addition, the turbulence produced in the
mixed liquor of activated sludge that is needed to obtain efficient oxygen transfer tends to
shear the biological floe particles and make them more difficult to separate from the liquid.
A substitute source of oxygen that can be intimately mixed with the water and
organisms without need for gas-water contact operations is desirable.
Supplementary oxygen sources for overloaded aeration systems need to be readily
available to meet emergency or short-term needs. Hydrogen peroxide may meet these needs
since it is an easily handled liquid source of oxygen that can be intimately mixed with the
sewage mixed liquor at any point of turbulence. All that is needed is a drum of H202 with a
metering pump or flowrator to start the addition of oxygen into the system.
The objective of this work was to demonstrate that H202 could be used as a source of
02 for activated sludge treatment plants to solve several operational problems.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The use of H202 in waste treatment has only recently been disclosed in the literature.
Chin and Hicks (1) reported that H202 could be used as a means of elevating dissolved
oxygen (DO) concentration in the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) procedure. Later
they also studied the effects of H202 as the 02 source in pilot units (2). Young and Baumann
(3) have also reported on the use of H202 to elevate the dissolved oxygen concentrations for
oxygen uptake studies. Besides these applications, several full-scale problem solutions
have been demonstrated. According to Shepherd, H202 has been used to treat sour water
in refineries (4,5). One of the major applications has been the control of odor and corrosion due to H2S in sewer lines (4,5,6). This problem, 'which is prevalent in the warmer regions such as Florida, Texas, and California, can be treated by H202 more economically
than other treatments such as chlorine, caustic, or ozone. Another major application is the
use of H202 to control bulking sludge (6,7,8,9,10,11,12). This application was detailed by
Dr. Keller at last year's conference.
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