Method of treating (meth)acrylic monomer-containing wastewater

Abstract

A method of treating wastewater containing (meth)acrylic monomer, such as is produced by aqueous washing of porous parts impregnated with a sealant composition containing such monomer. The monomer-containing wastewater is (1) adjusted in pH to a value in the range of from about 8 to about 10, and (2) contacted with an effective amount of a reducing agent which is polymerizingly effective for the monomer, to yield corresponding polymer from the monomer. The wastewater is mixed with a cationic flocculating agent in sufficient quantity to flocculate the polymer in the wastewater, and the resulting wastewater is physically separated to recover a monomer- and polymer-reduced wastewater effluent which may be discharged to receiving waters.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.