Author(s)

Isyaku Ahmad¹, Joseph T. Akintola^2*, Regina J. Patinvoh³, Wilson F. Ekpotu⁴, Martins C. Obialor⁴, Philemon Chukwuebuka Udom⁵

¹Process (Urea) Department, Dangote Fertiliser Limited, Lagos, Nigeria.
²Department of Research & Development, Vitapur Nigeria Limited, Lagos, Nigeria.
³Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Lagos State University, Lagos, Nigeria.
⁴Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria.
⁵Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Owerri, Owerri, Nigeria.

The use of modeling and simulation has developed into a critical tool for the sustainable management of wastewater, especially when it comes to replicating the complex biochemical procedures required for fertilizer effluent treatment, which calls for a significant amount of wastewater-related data. The biological improvement of a urea fertilizer effluent via GPS* simulation was carried out in this work using a methodical process. Using established analytical techniques, temperature, total suspended solids (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total phosphorus (T/), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), total nitrate (NO₃), electric conductivity (EC), turbidity, residual chlorine, urea, NH₃, and heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, and Fe) were assessed. The research revealed that the measured values from the fertilizer factory outfall effluent had high concentrations of all the physicochemical water quality indicators, with the exception of TSS, PO₄^-, SO₄^-, and NO₃^-. These concentrations are higher compared to the authorized limits or suggested values by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA). To improve the therapy biologically, however, a modeling and simulation program (GPS-X, version 8.0) was used with the physicochemical information gathered from the studied sample. The results of the treated water simulation showed that the concentrations of BOD₅ and COD had been significantly reduced by 35% and 44%, respectively. Additionally, it was discovered that total phosphorus (TP), nitrate (N), and total nitrogen (TN) were all within the permitted FEPA limit. The results revealed good treatment performance of the wastewater with increasing concentration of acetic acid and sodium hydroxide. Hence, the results of this research work identify the need for proper treatment of fertilizer industry effluents prior to their release into the environment.

Fertilizer Wastewater Effluent, Discharge Basin, Outfall Basin, Physiochemical Analysis, GPS*, Modelling & Simulation

Ahmad, I. , Akintola, J. , Patinvoh, R. , Ekpotu, W. , Obialor, M. and Udom, P. (2023) Systematic Biological Upgrade of a Urea Fertilizer Effluent Treatment Plant Using GPS. Open Journal of Applied Sciences, 13, 1457-1477. doi: 10.4236/ojapps.2023.138116.