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Fenton degradation of biologically pre-treated pulp and paper effluent using zero-valent iron from commercial steel wool

  • Naiara de O. dos Santos ORCID logo EMAIL logo , Manoela D. Lacombe , Julio C. Spadotto ORCID logo , Percia P. Nascimento and Luiz Alberto C. Teixeira
Published/Copyright: May 23, 2025
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Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal
From the journal Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal Volume 40 Issue 3

Abstract

The production of pulp and paper (P&P) is a significant industrial sector that heavily relies on fresh water, generating effluents with flow rates, which in the new plants reach around 3,000 m3/h. Traditionally, P&P effluents are treated through biological processes such as activated sludge and aerated lagoons, effectively removing biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and colour, complying with environmental standards. However, increasing water scarcity driven by climate change necessitates reassessing production rates to conserve water quality and volume while maintaining compliance. This study explores enhancements in effluent treatment by integrating an advanced oxidation step after conventional biological treatment. Specifically, the study evaluates and compares the efficiency of: (i) the conventional Fenton reaction with soluble iron salts, (ii) conventional coagulation, and (iii) a Fenton process using zero-valent iron (ZVI) from commercial steel wool, operating at near-neutral pH (5.5–7.5). Batch experiments were performed using jar tests with industrial effluent samples from a bleached Kraft pulp mill. The analyses included dissolved organic carbon (DOC), BOD, chemical oxygen demand (COD), lignin (measured at 280 nm absorbance), and true colour, with characterizations of steel wool via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) before and after treatment. Results indicated that the ZVI-steel wool/H2O2 Fenton process achieved superior removal rates of lignin and recalcitrant compounds, with average removals of 57.1 % COD, 67.2 % BOD, 90.5 % colour, and 83.4 % lignin compounds. Notably, treatment at pH 7.5 exhibited efficiencies comparable to pH 5.5, allowing lower chemical costs by eliminating the need for acid and alkali for pH adjustments before and after the Fenton step. These findings suggest the ZVI-steel wool/H2O2 process as a viable polishing step for treating effluents from P&P plants, contributing to better sustainability by reducing the need for additional chemicals for pH adjustment, and increasing the quality of effluents for discharge and reuse.

Keywords: pulp and paper effluent; heterogeneous fenton; zero valent iron
Corresponding author: Naiara de O. dos Santos, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro – PUC Rio, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London, UK; and São Paulo State University – UNESP – Institute of Science and Technology of São José Dos Campos, São José Dos Campos, SP, Brazil, E-mail:
Naiara de O. dos Santos and Manoela D. Lacombe these are First authors.

Funding source: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Brazilian Centre for Physics Research – LABNANO/CBPF for technical support during electron microscopy work, and to The Brazilian Research Council (CNPq) for granting an MSc scholarship to author M.D.L.

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study, or their legal guardians or wards.

  3. Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission. Author contributions – detailed information: Naiara de Oliveira dos Santos: Collaboration in Experiments, writing-Original Draft and Editing; Manoela Demori Lacombe: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation; Julio C. Spadotto: Microscopy analysis, Writing–Review; Percia Nascimento: Analytical routines; Luiz A. C. Teixeira: Conceptualization, Funding Acquisition, Writing–Review and Editing, Supervision.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.

  5. Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.

  6. Research funding: Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).

  7. Data availability: Not applicable.

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Supplementary Material

This article contains supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/npprj-2024-0080).

Received: 2024-11-06
Accepted: 2025-05-09
Published Online: 2025-05-23
Published in Print: 2025-09-25

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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  4. Mechanical Pulping
  5. Characterization of the low consistency pulp refining conducted by the plates with different bar-groove width ratios
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  14. Preparation of MgO/CaCO3 nanocomposites and their deacidification properties for paper documents
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https://doi.org/10.1515/npprj-2024-0080
Keywords for this article
pulp and paper effluent; heterogeneous fenton; zero valent iron

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Bleaching
  3. A new strategy for biological enzyme bleaching: combined effects of laccase, xylanase, and mannanase in the bleaching of softwood kraft pulp – a synergistic effect of enzymes
  4. Mechanical Pulping
  5. Characterization of the low consistency pulp refining conducted by the plates with different bar-groove width ratios
  6. Paper Technology
  7. On the influence of macro-scale stress variations on the dynamic dewatering of water-saturated polymer fibre networks
  8. Effects of dispersion hydrophobized MgO nanoparticles in low polarity solvent on aged paper
  9. Preparation and properties of effective low-cost composite filler for bible paper
  10. Paper Physics
  11. Normal and shear delamination of paperboards
  12. Micro-CT analysis of creased and folded multilayer cardboard
  13. Paper Chemistry
  14. Preparation of MgO/CaCO3 nanocomposites and their deacidification properties for paper documents
  15. Effects of sequential plasma modification and alkali treatment applied to cellulose fibers on the properties of the paper
  16. Coating
  17. Production of nano silver and nano silica coated paper to be used in active packaging
  18. Insights into bibliometric review for natural coatings for paper-based food packaging: trends, perspectives, and future directions
  19. RSM optimization of spray-coating parameters to enhance paper strength using cellulose nanocrystals extracted from young coconut husks
  20. Chemical Technology/Modifications
  21. NSSC pulp treatment with the Fenton reaction: fiber modification for reduced energy consumption in papermaking
  22. Other
  23. Fenton degradation of biologically pre-treated pulp and paper effluent using zero-valent iron from commercial steel wool
  24. Corrigendum
  25. Corrigendum to: Preparation and synthesis of water-soluble chitosan derivative incorporated in ultrasonic-assistant wheat straw paper for antibacterial food-packaging
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