The objectives of this paper were: to perform the physical-chemical characterization of a metalworking effluent and to carry out the integrated treatment (chemical precipitation and biotreatment), using effluent autochthonous microorganisms (FI and FV) and a reference (A. niger). The characterization indicated pH of 1.7; color, 1,495 mg Pt.L-1; chemical oxygen demand, 9,147 mgO2.L-1; oil and grease, 887 mg.L-1, and dissolved oxygen with 2.5 mgO2.L-1. With the chemical precipitation treatment, in pH = 7.5, the reduction of all the investigated metallic ions was obtained. The color was reduced 95% after the biotreatment using the FV microorganism. The chemical oxygen demand and oil and grease reductions were more significant when using FI, which reduced the same in 52 and 62%, respectively. These results indicated that the autochthonous microorganisms were more efficient in the effluent treatment than the reference organism A. niger.
chemical precipitation; air-lift reactor type; metalworking effluent
