Lugo-Rosa, Joel

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    Evaluation of waste tire crumb rubber and dewatered sludges as adsorbents of heavy metals ions in the Miradero Water Treatment Plant at Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
    (2014) Lugo-Rosa, Joel; Perales-Pérez, Oscar J.; College of Engineering; Román, Félix R.; Rivera Santos, Jorge; Perdomo, José; Department of Civil Engineering; Morell, Julio M.
    Water pollution by heavy metal species is a major environmental concern, and existing technologies are not always adequate for meeting regulatory limits. Major sources of pollution of aqueous effluents with heavy metal ions (mainly Pb, Cu, and Zn) in Puerto Rico are municipal wastewater treatment plants and the discharges from electroplating, metal finishing, and printed circuit board manufacturing industries. Typical concentrations of toxic inorganic species in those aqueous effluents range from 0.1 to 100 ppm. The mercury pollution in Juncos and the presence of lead in some wells in Gurabo (newspaper, El Nuevo Dia, June 15, 2003), can be considered local case-studies. In this regard, the presence of Cu, Pb and Zn species in the final discharge generated at the water filtration facility in Mayaguez (as stated by the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, PRASA, the Puerto Rican Agency in charge of the potable water facilities) represents an incomparable opportunity to test the capability of waste tire crumb rubber (WTCR) and dewatered sludge to solve an actual environmental problem. The main difference between both is in the sorption rate: the sorption rate of Cu and Pb was faster when WTCR was used than the sludge. The sludge was capable of removing Zn ions whereas the WTCR was not. A combination of these methods and chemical precipitation resulted in the removal of the heavy metals to achieve compliance with the NPDES permit. The engineering recommendation involves the installation of a helicon tank where the settled sludge will contributes to the adsorption of the aqueous metal species. This infrastructure is similar to others installed at Añasco filtration plant and other facilities of potable water treatment in Puerto Rico. As shown in the laboratory, using coagulant incites colloidal particles precipitate and remove in the last Thickener.