The possibility of removing organic compounds from wastewater originating from the photochemical production of printed circuit boards by use of waste acidification and disposal of precipitated photopolymer in the first stage and the UV-Fenton method in a second stage has been presented. To optimize the process of advanced oxidation, the RSM (Response Surface Methodology) for three independent factors was applied, i.e. pH, the concentration of Fe(II) and H2O2 concentration. The use of optimized values of individual parameters in the process of wastewater treatment caused a decrease in the concentration of the organic compounds denoted as COD by approx. 87% in the first stage and approx. 98% after application of both processes. Precipitation and the decomposition of organic compounds was associated with a decrease of wastewater COD to below 100 mg O2/L whereas the initial value was 5550 mg O2/L. Decomposition of organic compounds and verification of the developed model of photopolymers removal was also carried out with use of alternative H2O2 sources i.e. CaO2, MgO2, and Na2CO3·1,5H2O2.
The possibility of Cu(II), Ni(II) and Sn(II) removal from model solutions and real wastewater from
the production of PCBs using Na2
CS3
for precipitation was presented in this paper. The testing was carried out
on a laboratory scale using model and real industrial wastewater containing additives in the form of complexing
compounds used in the production of PCBs (Na2
EDTA, NH3(aq), thiourea) and recommended by the USEPA
(Na3
MGDA, Na4
GLDA). Application of Na2
CS3
in optimal conditions of conducting precipitation process was
connected with obtaining wastewater containing low concentrations of metals (Cu 0.02 mg/L, Sn <0.01 mg/L, Ni
<0.005 mg/L at pH 9.39 and Cu 0.07 mg/L, Sn <0.01 mg/L, Ni 0.006 mg/L at pH 7.79). Controlled application of
Na2
CS3
by the use of a platinum redox electrode was also connected with obtaining treated wastewater containing
low concentrations of metals (Cu 0.019 mg/L, Sn <0.05 mg/L, Ni <0.0098 mg/L at pH 9–9.5 and E= -142 mV in the
laboratory scale and Cu 0.058 mg/L, Sn <0.005 mg/L, Ni 0.011 mg/L at pH 9.14 and E= +10 mV in the industrial
scale). Changing the value of redox potential of treated wastewater by dosing Na2
CS3
made it possible to control
the precipitation process on laboratory and industrial scale by the use of a platinum redox electrode. Controlled
application of Na2
CS3
can be used to remove Cu(II), Ni(II) and Sn(II) from industrial effl uent containing chelating
compounds like Na2
EDTA, NH3(aq), thiourea, Na3
MGDA and Na4
GLDA.