%O cited By 36 %L scholars2019 %J Journal of Hazardous Materials %D 2011 %N 1-3 %R 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.04.045 %K Biological process; Biosorption process; COD removal efficiency; Lab-scale sequencing; Low concentrations; Mercury; Petrochemical wastewater; Sequencing Batch Reactor; Sequencing batch reactors; Sludge volume index; Vinyl chloride monomers; Vinyl chlorides; Volatile suspended solids, Activated sludge process; Bacteria; Bacteriology; Batch reactors; Biosorption; Cadmium chloride; Chemical oxygen demand; Chemical plants; Chlorine compounds; Heavy metals; Mercury (metal); Petrochemicals; Removal; Wastewater, Cadmium, cadmium; mercury, acclimation; bioreactor; cadmium; chemical composition; industrial waste; mercury (element); performance assessment; petrochemical industry; pollutant removal; sorption; wastewater, article; biosorption; chemical oxygen demand; nonhuman; sequencing batch reactor; sulfate reducing bacterium; suspended particulate matter; waste water, Bioreactors; Cadmium; Chemical Industry; Industrial Waste; Mercury; Petroleum; Water Pollutants, Chemical, algae; Bacteria (microorganisms); Gomphonema %X Petrochemical factories which manufacture vinyl chloride monomer and poly vinyl chloride (PVC) are among the largest industries which produce wastewater contains mercury and cadmium. The objective of this research is to evaluate the performance of a lab-scale Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) to treat a synthetic petrochemical wastewater containing mercury and cadmium. After acclimatization of the system which lasted 60 days, the SBR was introduced to mercury and cadmium in low concentrations which then was increased gradually to 9.03±0.02mg/L Hg and 15.52±0.02mg/L Cd until day 110. The SBR performance was assessed by measuring Chemical Oxygen Demand, Total and Volatile Suspended Solids as well as Sludge Volume Index. At maximum concentrations of the heavy metals, the SBR was able to remove 76-90 of Hg2+ and 96-98 of Cd2+. The COD removal efficiency and MLVSS (microorganism population) in the SBR was affected by mercury and cadmium concentrations in influent. Different species of microorganisms such as Rhodospirilium-like bacteria, Gomphonema-like algae, and sulfate reducing-like bacteria were identified in the system. While COD removal efficiency and MLVSS concentration declined during addition of heavy metals, the appreciable performance of SBR in removal of Hg2+ and Cd2+ implies that the removal in SBR was not only a biological process, but also by the biosorption process of the sludge. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. %P 118-125 %T Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) for the removal of Hg2+ and Cd2+ from synthetic petrochemical factory wastewater %V 191 %A A. Malakahmad %A A. Hasani %A M. Eisakhani %A M.H. Isa