Intensification of the leachate treatment process of nitrocellulose production

Purification of cellulose is one of the most important steps in the production of nitrocellulose for explosives. However, it generates highly polluting wastewater. In this study, nitrocellulose industry wastewater (leachate) was characterized and treated chemically and biologically. Untreated leachate had a pH of 12.4 ± 0.5, color of 27,065 ± 879 units, chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 7,615 ± 252 mg/L, biological oxygen demand (BOD) of 4,413 ± 194 mg/L, total organic carbon (TOC) content of 2,455 ± 158 mg/L, total solids of 8,613 ± 232 mg/L, fixed solids of 3,845 ± 103 mg/L, and volatile solids of 4,768 ± 129 mg/L and was toxic to Escherichia coli and Artemia salina. Industrial-scale chemical treatment followed by pilot-scale biological treatment reduced COD by 97%, BOD by 99%, and TOC by 97% and eliminated toxicity.