An Overview of Characterization and Treatment Methods of Wastewater from Iron and Steel Industries

Abstract

This paper reviews physicochemical characteristics of iron and steel industrial wastewater and the trend in development of treatment methods. The nature of wastewater generated largely depends on the raw materials, process operation, products and by-products. In coke-oven plants, toxic wastewater containing contaminants such as cyanide, ammonia, poly aromatic hydrocarbon, phenolic compounds and other complex organic compounds are generated. Wastewater generated from metal processing and metal finishing steel industries are in the form of spent pickle liquor and acidic rinse water containing contaminants such as metal salts, free acids and oil and grease. To tackle these diverse natures of iron and steel wastewater, different treatment methods and combination of compatible treatment techniques have been developed to handle specific type of steel industrial wastewater.