Wastewater Treatment Flashcards
Problem with organic matter
oxygen depletion
problem with solids
turbidity, aesthetics
problem with nutrients
eutrophication
problem with pathogenic organisms
diseases
problem with organics/metals
toxicity
What is in wastewater
- human feces and urine
- food from sinks
- soaps and cleaning agents
- runoff from streets and lawns
- industrial discharges
Objectives of wastewater treatment
- reduce the load of contaminants
- produce treated effluents that meet environmental protection regulations
- produce effluents that can be safely disposed of in the environment or reused
Methods of wastewater treatment
- Physical Unit Operations: treatment methods in which physical forces predominate
- Chemical Unit Processes: removal or conversion of contaminants by addition of chemicals
- Biological Unit Processes: removal of contaminants by biological activity
Physical Unit Operation
- flow metering
- screening
- comminution
- flow equalisation
- mixing
- flocculation
- sedimentation
- flotation
- filtration
- volatilisation and gas stripping
Chemical Unit Processes
- chemical precipitation
- adsorption
- coagulation
- ion exchange
- chemical oxidation
- chlorination
Biological Unit Processes
- aerobic suspended-growth (activated sludge)
- aerobic attached-growth (trickling filters)
- anaerobic suspended-growth (contact reactor)
- anaerobic attached-growth (anaerobic filter)
Levels of Treatment
- Primary = Physical = removed solids, organic matter
- Secondary = biological = organic matter, nutrients
- Tertiary = various = nutrients, toxins
- Disinfection = Various = pathogens
Preliminary Treatment
removal of wastewater constituents that may cause maintenance or operation problems with treatment operations (screening, comminution, grit removal, flotation)
Primary Treatment
portion of suspended solids and organic matter removed (sedimentation)
Secondary Treatment
biodegradable organics and suspended solids removed (activated sludge, fixed-film reactors, lagoon systems and sedimentation)
Tertiary Treatment
treatment beyond conventional secondary treatment removing constituents of concern including nutrients, toxic compounds and increased amounts of organic material and suspended solids
Disinfection
inactivation of pathogens by addition of disinfectant (chlorine, UV radiation)
Sludge Treatment and Disposal
anaerobic digestion, landfilling, incineration
Methods for Oxidation of Organic Compounds
- Chemical Oxidation = ozonation, peroxidation, chlorination
- Combustion
- Bacterial oxidation = microbial metabolism
Objectives of Biological Wastewater Treatment
coagulate and remove nonsettleable colloidal solids and stabilise organic matter. specifically:
- transform/oxidise dissolved and particulat biodegradable constituents into suitable end products
- capture suspended and nosettleable colloidal solids into a biological floc or biofilm
- transform or remove nutrients such as N or P
- remove trace organics and compounds
substrate
food to provide energy for microbial growth (most organic constituents in wastewater)
- organic growth measured as BOD, COD or TOC
Biomass
- measured as volatile suspended solids (VSS)
- nutritional patterns or trophic levels distinguished based on two criteria - energy and carbon source.
Photoautotroph
organisms obtaining energy from light and carbon from CO2
Photoheterotroph
organism obtaining energy from light and carbon from organic material
Chemoautotrophs
organisms obtaining carbon from CO2 and energy from oxidation of inorganic compounds
Chemoheterotrophs
organisms obtaining both their energy and carbon from organic material