Desulfurization: Critical step towards enhanced selenium removal from industrial effluents

Abstract Selenium (Se) removal from synthetic solutions and from real Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) wastewater generated by a coal-fired power plant was studied for the first time using a commercial iron oxide impregnated strong base anion exchange resin, Purolite ® FerrIX A33E. In synthetic solutions, the resin showed high affinity for selenate and selenite, while sulfate exhibited a strong competition for both oxyanions. The FGD wastewater investigated is a complex system that contains Se (∼1200 μg L −1 ), SO 4 2− (∼1.1 g L −1 ), Cl − (∼9.5 g L −1 ), and Ca 2+ (∼5 g L −1 ), alongside a broad spectrum of toxic trace metals including Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, and Zn. The resin performed poorly again…