TNT Redwater Treatment by Wet Air Oxidation.

Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is one of the most widely used military explosives. The manufacturing process creates a highly toxic, reactive waste called redwater. Increasingly stringent environmental regulations no longer allow the Army to dispose of redwater by burning it or selling it to the paper industry; alternate disposal solutions must be found. One feasible alternative is the oxidation of redwater at high temperatures and pressures, or wet air oxidation (WAO). Oxidation temperatures between 225 deg C and 300 deg C may provide effluent tbat can be effectively treated using conventional biological wastewater treatment methods. A WAO temperature of 280 deg C was proven by toxicity experiments in this report to be the optimal temperature for providing an effluent with the fewest remaining impurities that is best suited for biological treatment. The estimated cost of treating a gallon of redwater using WAO is $0.35 if treated at 280 deg C and $1.02 if treated at 340 deg C. A redwater treatment plant, designed for treating 16,000 gallons of redwater at a temperature of 280 deg C, is estimated to cost $3.9 million, with a total capital cost per year of $730,000. (AN)