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WASTEWATER CHARACTERISTICS
CHE 675 ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING CHAPTER 4 ENGINEERED SYSTEMS FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL
Classified as industrial & municipal wastewater Industrial wastewater require pretreatment to remove noncompatible substances prior to discharge into municipal system Characteristics of wastewater vary from industry to industry and hence the treatment also vary

Important wastewater contaminants

Contaminant Suspended solids* Source Domestic use, industrial wastes, erosion by infiltration/inflow Domestic and industrial waste Environmental significance Cause sludge deposits an anaerobic conditions in aquatic environment. Cause biological degradation which may use up O2 in receiving water and result in undesirable conditions Transmit communicable diseases May cause eutrophication May cause taste & odor problems, toxic or carcinogenic Are toxic, may interfere with effluent reuse May interfere with effluent reuse
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TERMINOLOGY IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Wastewater treatment system: Composed of a combination of unit operations & unit processes designed to reduce certain constituents of wastewater to an acceptable level. Primary Treatment: To remove solid materials from incoming wastewater.
Large debris is removed by screens or reduced in size by grinding devices Inorganic solids are removed in grit channels Organic SS is removed by sedimentation

Biodegradable organics*

Pathogens* Nutrients Refractory organics Heavy metals Dissolved inorganic solids

Domestic waste Domestic & industrial waste Industrial waste Industrial waste, mining, etc. Increases above level in water supply by domestic and/or industrial use

Secondary Treatment: Consist of biological conversion of dissolved & colloidal organics into biomass; removed by sedimentation. Tertiary Treatment: Involves further removal of SS by filtration & nutrients (phosphorous and nitrogen) by combinations of physical, chemical and biological processes.

* Most significant component

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Primary treatment
Wastewater contains a wide variety of solids of various shapes, sizes and densities. Removal of these solids require a combination of unit operations such as screening, grinding and settling.
Primary clarifier

1. SCREENING
Screening devices are used to remove coarse solids (sticks, rags, boards) and other large objects from wastewater. Normally the first operation performed on the incoming wastewater. Wastewater screens are classified as fine or coarse.

Typical primary treatment system

Coarse screen
Purpose remove larger objects Solid material stored in hopper and sent to landfill Mechanically or manually cleaned

Fine screen
Consist of woven wire cloth or perforated plates. Mechanically cleaned on continual basis.

Quantity of solids removed depends on screen-opening size. Screened solids should be promptly disposed of to prevent a health hazard and/or nuisance condition. Common disposal practice:
Disposal in sanitary landfill Grinding and returning to wastewater flow Incineration

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2. COMMINUTING
Screenings are sometimes shredded and returned to wastewater flow. A shredding device, comminutor, is located across flow path and intercepts the coarse solids and shred to inch in size. Basic parts screen, cutting teeth.

3. GRIT REMOVAL
Grit material compose of inorganic solids (pebbles, sand, silt, egg shells, glass and metal fragment) and organic solids (bone chips, seeds and coffee and tea ground). Substances in grit are abrasive in nature and cause accelerated wear on pumps and sludge-handling equipment. May absorb grease and solidify not biodegradable and occupy space in sludge digesters.

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Example-1
Basically consist of an enlarged channel area reduce velocity and hence settle out the grit Most common channel type or aerated rectangular basin Deposited grit is removed by mechanical scrapers A grit chamber is designed to remove particles with a diameter of 0.2 mm, specific gravity 2.65. Settling velocity for these particles has been found to range from 0.016 to 0.022 m/s, depending on their shape factor. A flow-through velocity of 0.3 m/s will be maintained by a proportioning weir. Determine the channel dimensions for a maximum wastewater flow of 10, 000 m3/d.

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4. PRIMARY SEDIMENTATION
To concentrate and remove suspended organic solids Operation used primary settling type-2 Accomplished by long-rectangular tanks or circular tanks Quantity of sludge removed depends on
Strength of the incoming waste Efficiency of clarifier Condition of sludge SG, water content

Example-2
A municipal wastewater treatment plant processes an average flow of 14, 000 m3/d. The peak flow is 1.75 times the average. The wastewater contains 190 mg/l BOD5 and 210 mg/l suspended solids at average flow and 225 mg/l BOD5 and 365 mg/l suspended solids at peak flow. Determine the following for a primary clarifier with a 20 m diameter. a) Surface overflow rate and the approximate removal efficiency for BOD5 and suspended solids at average flow b) Surface overflow rate and the approximate removal efficiency for BOD5 and suspended solids at peak flow c) Mass of solids (kg/d) that is removed as sludge for average and peak flow conditions.
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Secondary treatment
The effluent from primary treatment still contains 40-50% of SS, original dissolved organics and inorganics. The organic removal may consist of chemical-physical and biological process

Chemical-physical process
Combinations of coagulation, microscreening, filtration, chemical oxidation and other processes Remove solids and reduce BOD to acceptable level High cost - not commonly used

Biological process
More practical Microorganisms use organics in WW as food supply & convert them to biomass Mixed culture is required for complete treatment Design of biological systems requires an understanding of the biological principle, kinetics of metabolism, mass balance, physical operation necessary to control the reactor environment

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GROWTH AND FOOD UTILIZATION

Rate of biomass production and food utilization affected by external factors:
Temperature : temp. increase, increase biomass production & food utilization pH: Microorganism best function near neutral pH - 6 to 9 Toxicants : poison the microorganism Salt conc. : interfere with internal-external pressure relationship Oxidants : destroy enzymes and cell materials

Biomass growth and food utilization

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SUSPENDED CULTURES SYSTEM

Microorganism are suspended in WW either as single cells or as clusters of cells They are surrounded by WW which contain food and other elements One of the process is activated sludge Types of basic suspended culture reactor
completely mixed reactor (with/without sludge recycle) plug flow reactor with sludge recycle

ACTIVATED SLUDGE

Completely mixed activated sludge system

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As bacteria consume BOD, they grow and multiply Takes place in the aeration tank-WW is aerated with oxygen Treated wastewater flows into secondary clarifier The grow of bacteria creates flocs and gases, will be removed by secondary clarifier. Bacterial cells settle, removed from clarifier as sludge Part of sludge is recycled back to activated sludge tank, to maintain bacteria population Remainder of sludge is wasted

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Example-3
A wastewater flow having the characteristics as follow
Flow = 18, 300 m3/d Influent BOD = 160 mg/l Effluent BOD = 5 mg/l Endogenous decay coefficient = 0.04 d-1 Tank volume = 6100 m3 Mean cell-residence time = 9 d Cell yield coefficient Y = kg biomass/kg BOD utilized

Aeration of activated sludge

The rate at which oxygen is consumed by the microorganism is called the oxygen utilization rate Oxygen addition should be sufficient to match the oxygen utilization rate Oxygen should be maintain in small excess to ensure aerobic metabolism Techniques used
Air diffusers compressed air is injected and commonly use in PFR Mechanical mixers stir the content violently to distribute air through liquid and use in completely mixed reactor

is be treated in a completely mixed activated sludge system. The reactor is to operate at a concentration of 3000 mg/l MLSS (mixed-liquor suspended solids), and the secondary clarifier is designed to thicken the sludge to 12, 000 mg/l. For a mean cell-residence time of 8 d, determine a) The volume of the reactor b) The mass of the solids and the wet volume of sludge wasted each day c) The sludge recycle ratio
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PONDS AND LAGOONS

Other suspended-culture system to treat WW WW pond also known as stabilization pond, oxidation pond, sewage lagoon Pond: Large shallow earthen basin; WW is retained long enough for natural purification process. Some O2 is provided by aeration. Bulk O2 is provided by photosynthesis. Lagoon: O2 is provided by artificial aeration. Types of ponds: Shallow ponds (Aerobic ponds): DO present at all depths; often referred to as polishing/tertiary pond Deep ponds (Anaerobic ponds): O2 is absent for a relatively thin surface layer. Partial aerobic treatment needed to get acceptable end product. Facultative pond: Both aerobic & anaerobic zones present may be used as the total treatment system for municipal ww.

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Types of lagoon: Classified by the degree of mechanical mixing provided. Aerobic lagoon: Sufficient energy is supplied to keep the entire content, including sewage solids, mixed & aerated. Facultative lagoon: enough energy is supplied to mix liquid portion, solids settle to the bottom of low velocity gradient and degrades anaerobically.

Majority of ponds and lagoons are facultative. Facultative pond & lagoon:
both aerobic and anaerobic zones exist to treat WW Assumed to be completely mixed reactors without biomass recycle Difference is on the way the oxygen is supplied

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ATTACHED CULTURE SYSTEMS

Consist of masses of organisms adhered to inert surfaces with WW passing over the microbial film Type of reactors
Trickling filter Medium is stationary & WW is passed over the biofilm in intermittent doses Bio-tower Rotating biological contactor (RBC) medium moves the biofilm alternately through water and air

Trickling Filter
TF consists of:
A rotating arm that sprays wastewater over a filter medium. Filter medium: rocks, plastic, or other material.

The water is collected at the bottom of the filter for further treatment.

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Sludge treatment and disposal

Sludge
concentration of solid (impurities) contains many objectionable materials and must be disposed properly Disposal facilities represents 40-60% of WW treatment plant construction cost, 50% of operating cost.

SLUDGE CHARACTERISTICS
Quantity & nature depends on WW characteristics, nature & efficiencies of treatment process Primary sludge
Contain inorganics and coarser organic colloid More granular in nature & more concentrated

Secondary sludge
Composed of biological solids Consistency depends on treatment process

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SLUDGE THICKENING
Techniques for volume reduction
vacuum filtration and centrifugation (for incineration) Gravity thickening &/ flotation for further biological treatment

SLUDGE DIGESTION
Process intended to convert solids to noncellular end products (using biological degradation) Serves both for volume reduction and render remaining solids inert and pathogen-free Can be accomplished aerobically or anaerobically

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Anaerobic digestion
Common process dealing with WW sludge containing primary sludge Produce less biomass Principal function convert as much sludge as possible to liquids and gases, while creating less biomass 2 broad groups acid former and methane former Acid formers
Consist of facultative and anaerobic bacteria Include organism that solubilize the organic solids through hydrolysis Soluble products are fermented to acids and alcohols of low MW

Methane formers (complicated)

Contain strict anaerobic bacteria that convert acid, alcohol, H and CO2 to methane

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Aerobic digestion
Restricted to biological sludge in the absent of primary sludge A continuation of the aeration process Application stabilizing sludge wasted from extended aeration system Organism involved in the process are forced to metabolize their own protoplasm Energy-consumptive

SLUDGE DISPOSAL
Include
Incineration
provided water content is sufficiently reduced Supplemental fuel may necessary

placement in sanitary landfill

Raw or digested sludge

incorporation into soils as fertilizer

Limited to digested sludge Ground used for forage crops for nonhuman consumption

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WASTEWATER DISPOSAL
Involve removal of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds Nitrogen removal
Air stripping converting ammonium to gaseous phases and disperse in air Nitrification-denitrification nitrogen converted to gaseous nitrogen by biological process

Common method dilution in surface waters Discharge to atm in vapor form evaporation exceeds precipitation Ocean disposal near coastal areas Land application
disposal as well as reuse Common forms are irrigation and rapid infiltration

Phosphorus removal
Chemical precipitation by combining with trivalent aluminum or iron cations

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Irrigation

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WASTEWATER REUSE
Recreational facilities Should be aesthetically pleasing and free of toxicants and pathogenic Industrial water supply Cooling process which constitute largest water requirement use secondary effluent Power-generating and petrochemical plants use municipal effluents Groundwater recharge WW can become a part of groundwater as consequence of land application for irrigation and from rapid infiltration Reuse in potable water systems Direct reuse the treated effluent from WW treatment is piped directly to the influent of the water treatment plant Indirect reuse storage of treated effluent in natural or artificial water bodies for a period of time prior to withdrawal and incorporation into water supply

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Exercise
Problems: 5-10, 5-11, 5-16, 5-28, 5-36

REFERENCES
Peavy, H.S., Rowe, D.R. & Tchobanoglous, G. 1985. Environmental Engineering. McGraw-Hill International Editions. Singapore. http://www.gbra.org/wastewater-treatment.swf

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PREPARED BY: NORASMAH MOHAMMED MANSHOR FACULTY OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, UiTM SHAH ALAM. norasmah@salam.uitm.edu.my 03-55436333/019-2368303

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