Removal of Al, Ba and Mg from industrial wastewater using EAFDS and lime

Wastewater treatment and removal of hazardous metals is imperative for the well-being of living things and the environment. Different methods for the removal of hazardous metals have been proposed and practiced with varying success. In this study, dust slag generated by electric arc furnace is utilized for the removal of aluminium, barium and magnesium from industrial effluent. Slag which is a waste generated during the process of steel production is alkaline by nature. It was able to raise the pH of the acidic effluent to 8.7 removing most of the metals and reducing the amount of commercial alkali required to raise the pH to the target pH of 12.5. EAFDS in conjunction with lime removed 98% of Al, 95.8% of Ba and 99.7% of Mg. The method was simple, efficient and cost-effective since it utilizes a material considered hazardous waste for the treatment.