chapter 22 - microbiology of built environment

Question 1

What is microbial leaching?

Answer 1

amount of copper isn’t rich; you make a quick pile of various stones and then you are going to sprinkle sulphuric acid.
Used to solubilize copper

Question 2

What is acid mine drainage?

Answer 2

an environmental problem in coal-mining regions
(happens when acidic mine waters are mixed with natural waters in rivers and lakes pH can drop)

Question 3

What happens to the uranium processed or stored?

Answer 3

Groundwater can be contaminated with this uranium
some bacteria can convert U6+ to U4+ as it is not water soluble
(uranium is contained not removed)

Question 4

What are organic pollutants?

Answer 4

Hydrocarbons

Question 5

What are xenobiotic compounds?

Answer 5

synthetic chemicals that are not naturally occurring (pesticides)
They degrade very slowly

Question 6

What is the only plastic that can be degraded by microorganisms?

Answer 6

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

Question 7

What is wastewater?

Answer 7

domestic sewage or liquid industrial waste

Question 8

What is gray water

Answer 8

water resulting from washing, bathing and cooking

Question 9

What is sewage?

Answer 9

water contaminated with human and animal fecal material

Question 10

What is wastewater treatments main goal?

Answer 10

Try to get rid of organic and inorganic materials. we want to destroy microbials and eliminate toxic materials and things that will help microorganisms grow.

Question 11

What is biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)?

Answer 11

the amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by microbes to completely oxidize all organic and inorganic matter in a water sample.

Question 12

What is the primary treatment of water?

Answer 12

screening and sedimentation.
physically separating solid and particulate organic and inorganic materials.

Question 13

What are the two types of secondary treatments?

Answer 13

1. aerobic
2. anaerobic

Question 14

What are the two aerobic treatments?

Answer 14

1. aeration/activated sludge: wastewater flows through an activated sludge installation. microorganisms in the aeration tank are responsible for oxidation degradation or organic components
2. truckling filter: rotating arms distribute wastewater slowly and evenly on the rock bed.

Question 15

What is the anaerobic treatment of water?

Answer 15

1. anaerobic digester:
   fermentative reactions carried anaerobically in large enclosed tanks (sludge digesters or bioreactors)
   they break down polymers into monomers to acetate and carbon dioxide.

Question 16

What is the main tertiary wastewater treatment?

Answer 16

physicochemical or biological treatment processes for further processing of secondary treatments
(reduces levels of of inorganic nutrients)

Question 17

What are the emerging concerns of new biologically active pollutants being released in sewage?

Answer 17

1. pharmaceuticals
2. personal care products
3. household products
4. sunscreens

Question 18

What are the steps of water purification and stabilization?

Answer 18

1. pump in from the source, through sedimentation to remove particles
2. flows to coagulation, to form additional aggregates for sedimentations
3. filters out remaining particulate and most organic and inorganic compound
4. disinfection kills remaining microorganisms and prevent growth of new inocula. (UV or chlorine gas)

Question 19

What does the elimination of microbial growth in water distribution systems require?

Answer 19

1. complete nutrient removal
2. maintaining appropriate level of chlorine
3. neither of the above is feasible

Question 20

How can microorganisms accelerate corrosion of metals?

Answer 20

1. changing pH
2. changing redox
3. production of corrosive metabolites
4. production of corrosive microenvironment (biofilms)

Question 21

What is biodeterioration?

Answer 21

loss of structural integrity caused by microorganisms