Selection among aqueous and off-gas treatment technologies for synthetic organic chemicals

A methodology for selecting the least-cost treatment technology for waters contaminated by organic wastes was developed using performance and cost models. This methodology simplifies the selection of the least expensive treatment process(es) for a given set of conditions. Two aqueous-phase treatment options were considered: air stripping and liquid-phase adsorption (granular activated carbon). When the off-gases from air stripping must be treated, four off-gas treatment options were considered: gas-phase adsorption (with both on- and off-site regeneration of the granular activated carbon), thermal incineration, and catalytic oxidation. Methodologies were developed for rapidly selecting the least-cost off-gas treatment option [for volatile organic compound (VOC) sources such as an air stripping tower], for selecting the least-cost overall (liquid and gas phase treatment) system, and for selecting the least-cost overall system for a multicomponent mixture. The comparison methodology is based on physical parameters of the target chemical: Henry's constant and the solute distribution parameter. The results are a set of diagrams and heuristics for rapid identification of cases for which one treatment option is significantly less expensive than the other.