Treatability of wastewaters originating from water-based paint production with latex binder

In the present study, the treatability of wastewaters originating from water-based paint production with latex binders was investigated. The results of characterization study indicated that the wastewaters can exhibit variable characters during the production depending on washing period, and their COD contents varied between 2800 and 15,990 mg/L. Coagulation-flocculation and acid cracking processes were tested as pretreatment applications for both diluted and high strength wastewaters. Acid cracking process proved to be a quite efficient method providing over 95% COD removal, even for the high strength wastewaters. While pretreatment is adequate for direct discharge of the diluted wastewater, high strength needs a further treatment. In the present study, non-biological methods were tested for COD reduction in pretreated high strength wastewaters to fulfill discharge standard. Chemical oxidation using Fenton's reagent proved to be a reliable treatment method for this purpose. Direct oxidation using H ₂O₂, although requiring long retention times, was also found to be a feasible alternative.