Advanced Wastewater Treatment Solution for Coal Chemical Park: Cost-Effective Fenton Process Case Study

Introduction

Coal chemical industrial parks face significant challenges in treating complex wastewater from coking, pharmaceutical intermediates, and synthetic chemical plants. A breakthrough 20,000 m³/day advanced wastewater treatment project in Shandong's Heze City demonstrates how modified Fenton oxidation technology can achieve stable compliance at remarkably low costs. This coal chemical park wastewater treatment case study showcases an innovative solution that solved persistent discharge compliance issues while keeping treatment costs below $0.12/m³.

Project Overview

Wastewater Characteristics & Challenges

The industrial park's effluent contained:

• COD (160 mg/L) requiring further reduction

• High color (300 times) needing removal

• Total phosphorus (1.8 mg/L) above discharge limits

Existing biological treatment couldn't meet strict local standards, necessitating advanced polishing.

Innovative Treatment Process

The system features a multi-stage approach:

1. Pretreatment + Ozone Pre-oxidation – Breaks down refractory organics

2. AO Bioaugmentation – Enhanced biological treatment

3. Modified Fenton Oxidation – Key polishing technology with:

• Optimized reagent ratios

• Reduced chemical consumption

• Improved reaction efficiency

  4. Filtration + Disinfection – Final polishing step

Key System Advantages

• 60-70% additional COD removal

• 93-95% color reduction

• Low chemical costs (0.5-0.8 RMB/m³)

• Compact footprint using existing infrastructure

Performance & Results

Treatment Efficiency Metrics

Economic & Operational Benefits

• Treatment costs: Just 0.5-0.8 RMB/m³ ($0.07-0.12/m³)

• Full compliance with stringent discharge standards

• Proven stability across flow and load variations

• Minimal sludge production vs conventional Fenton

Conclusion

This coal chemical park wastewater treatment project establishes a new benchmark for cost-effective advanced treatment of complex industrial effluents. By implementing optimized Fenton oxidation as a polishing step, the park achieved consistent discharge compliance while minimizing operational expenses. For industrial clusters facing similar wastewater treatment challenges, this case demonstrates how targeted process upgrades can deliver both regulatory compliance and economic sustainability without major capital investments.