Anaerobic biodegradation of cosmetic industry wastewater

With the increase in population in the world and the improvement of people's living conditions, the demand for cosmetic products is increasing and the cosmetic industry is developing rapidly. Making cosmetics and care products accessible to every segment of the society, increasing the amount of sectoral production and purifying the wastewater resulting from the production gain importance. The composition of the pollutants in wastewater from cosmetic products depends on the type of cosmetics produced. In the study, experimental studies were carried out on real wastewater samples taken from the effluent of the cosmetic industry wastewater treatment plant operating within the borders of Diyarbakır Province. In the study, the potential for biodegradability of wastewater from the cosmetics industry in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor was investigated. The research was conducted in a laboratory-scale reactor over two phases: a batch system was used in the first phase, while the second phase utilized a continuous system. The batch experiments evaluated the treatment efficiency of three different microorganisms: Trametes versicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Bacillus thuringiensis. Optimal pH and temperature conditions were determined for each microorganism, and the treatment efficiencies achieved under these conditions were analysed. For P. ostreatus, the optimal pH was determined to be 6 and the temperature to be 30°C. Under these conditions, the COD removal efficiency was 82%, color removal was 68.7%, and turbidity removal was 82.6%. For T. versicolor, the optimal pH was 5 and the temperature was 30°C, resulting in a COD removal efficiency of 78%, color removal of 79.5%, and turbidity removal of 79.6%. For B. thuringiensis, the optimal conditions were pH 7 and temperature was 40°C, with COD removal efficiency reaching 70%, color removal 74.2%, and turbidity removal 77%. In the continuous system experiments, the long-term performances of the microorganisms were evaluated. P. ostreatus exhibited a COD removal efficiency of 89.9% and a color removal of 37%. T. versicolor demonstrated a COD removal efficiency of 90.4% and a color removal of 72%. For B. thuringiensis, COD removal efficiency was 87% and color removal was 62%. This doctoral thesis demonstrates that the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor is an effective method for the biological treatment of wastewater from the cosmetics industry. The high COD, color, and turbidity removal efficiencies achieved under the optimal pH and temperature conditions for each microorganism indicate that this reactor type could provide an efficient and sustainable solution for treating cosmetic industry effluents. This study contributes significantly to the optimization of biological treatment processes and the development of new treatment technologies. Furthermore, it aims to enhance environmental sustainability and offer innovative solutions in industrial wastewater treatment techniques.