Exam 3 Study Guide Flashcards
Label the primary, secondary, and tertiary stages in a wastewater treatment process. Identify what is removed from the wastewater stream during each stage
- physical screening to get rid of any trash
- waste is pumped into settling basins with semi-solid sludge settling out to separate from water
- wastewater is pumped into a secondary treatment area
- first is turbid and then cycled back and forth between aerobic and anaerobic tanks to maximize the removal of nitrogen and carbon
- aerobic tanks: organic N = CO2 and NH4+
- anaerobic tanks: NO3- = N2 gas
- water is moved into another settling basin and then clarified, at UF it is clarified with sand and chlorine
- once the solids are removed, they are moved into a sludge building and dried, later moving to the landfill
Using terminology from the nitrogen cycle (Module 7), identify the steps that remove nitrogen from wastewater during the wastewater treatment process.
The Secondary Treatment Stage transforms organic nitrogen (in the 4 P’s—poop, pee, paper, puke) to ammonium (via mineralization) and from ammonium to nitrate (via nitrification)
Identify the pool that nitrogen goes to when nitrogen is removed from wastewater during the wastewater treatment process.
anaerobic tanks as denitrification happens here. After the aerobic turns the organic nitrogen to ammonium to nitrate, the anaerobic tank turn the nitrate to
define the two waste/resource byproducts which result from the water reclamation process.
biosolids and reclaimed water
list and define at least two benefits of land applying biosolids in agriculture and at least two challenges associated with land applying biosolids in agriculture.
benefits: source of nutrients, improved soil quality
challenges: odor, meeting regulation standards, avoiding runoff and leaching of nutrients, transportation costs, emerging contaminants
list the three requirements for land application of biosolids according to the EPA’s 503 rule
- appropriate application rates
- vector attraction reduction
- pathogen reduction
- toxic metal limits
do human/animal pathogens survive well in soils and sunlight?
- no
- Pathogens do not multiply in the biosolids or in the soil. Instead, pathogens that are exposed to sunlight or dry conditions die. Pathogens that are retained in the soil generally die off within a few weeks to at most several months due to the natural soil microbial predators.
identify the class of reclaimed water that is used for irrigation of agricultural lands.
class B
in florida, where is most of the reclaimed water used?
most of the reclaimed water in florida is used to irrigate public access areas like parks and golf courses
- less is applied to agriculture because of the infrastructure required to pump the water to farmland
what is CONSERVE II?
- a reclaimed water site in orlando, FL
- 21 miles of transmission pipeline to connect reclamation facilities with a water distribution center that is located outside of town
- from the distribution center, 70 miles of pipeline distribute water to 59 agricultural and residential customers
list and describe at least two benefits of land applying reclaimed water in agriculture and at least two challenges associated with reclaimed water in agriculture
benefits: reduces groundwater withdrawals, applied water to soil rather than to a surface water body
challenges: produces in urban areas so agricultural use is limited due to distance and cost of maintenance; reclaimed water contains salts and nutrients so much be properly managed for irrigation to avoid salt damage and over fertilization
carbon neutrality
not adding to the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis, store chemical energy from the sun in the carbon bonds of plant cells. Energy and carbon dioxide is released when that plant is eaten, decomposed, burned.
old carbon
carbon that was fixed by photosynthesis millions of years ago and transformed over time into fossil fuels. Use of fossil fuels adds old carbon to the atmosphere and is considered a “carbon positive” situation.
biomass
renewable energy resource derived from plant and algae based materials
what are the three biomasses used for bioenergy production?
- crops
- residues
- wastes
examples of crops as biomass
- sugar cane
- corn
- sugar beets
- industrial sweet potatoes
- switchgrass
- algae
- miscanthus
examples of residues as biomass
- corn stover
- wheat straw
- rice straw
- orchard pruning
- branches
- wood
- bark from tree harvest
examples of wastes as biomass
- manure
- fish oil
- tallow
- produce
- food processing waste
- wastewater treatment sludge
- urban wood
- disaster debris
- cooking oil and grease
what is the biomass source and feedstock for first generation biofuel production?
biomass source: crops: palm and soybean; waste: used cooking oil, animal fats
feedstock: oil
what is the biomass source and feedstock for second generation biofuel production?
biomass source: energy crops: grasses & trees / energy crops or agriculture and urban waste
feedstock: cellulosic ethanol, cellulose, hemi-cellulose / cellulosic ethanol
what is the biomass source and feedstock for third generation biofuel production?
biomass source: crop algae / crop algae
feedstock: oil / cellulosic ethanol, sugar
what is the feedstock to fuel conversion process for first generation ethanol production?
x
what is the feedstock to fuel conversion process for first generation biodiesel production?
x
Define agricultural pests
Pests are found where they are not wanted and cause damage to plants, humans, and creatures as well as economic damage
List the four categories of pests
Vertebrates
Invertebrates
Weeds
Diseases
what type of pesticide is used for vertebrates?
rodenticides
what type of pesticide is used for invertebrates?
insecticides, nematicides