QUESTION 1:

Discuss the aspects of a secondary circular clarifier process design that must be considered
during the engineering process

Answer:
Secondary clarifiers utilized as a part of wastewater treatment are intended for treatment of water
by isolating colloidal solids for great quality release either for secondary treatment or into the
surroundings. As per Bahadori (2014), solids from the air circulation basin sinks in the secondary
clarifier where some of these solids recycles back to the air circulation and rate of organic
disintegration increases.

Bahadori (2014) gives the following plan thought:

1. At least two clarifiers ought to be used, with each being intended to work based on the
following conditions:
•Total maintenance time ought to be at least three hours, to incorporate reusing.
•Overflow rise rate ought not to be greater than 2.4 L/day/cm2.
•Oil 5 – 25 mg/L ought to be estimated by extraction and infrared examination.
•Minimum suspended solids removal of 50 – 80% with a minimum remaining of 20 mg/L.
•Hydrogen sulfide, Phenol, and 10% of 5-day BOD removal
•Recycle stream rate and mud withdrawal equivalent to 100% of the new feed clarifier.

2. Ideally the basin ought to be round in shape and built of reinforced concrete with an 8% of a
bottom slope.
3. The minimum side water depth ought to be 4.5, and have no less than 600 mm freeboard over
the water depth.
4. Unit plan must be equipped for operations that are effective at all rates from 40 – 100% of
plan.

Bahadori, A. (2014). Waste management in the chemical and petroleum industries. West Sussex,
United Kingdom: Wiley.

QUESTION 2:
Discuss the aspects of a chemical flocculation process design that must be considered during the
engineering process.

Answer:

Suspended and broken down particles are exists in the majority of natural waters with a
substantial segment of these suspended materials emerging from the disintegration of minerals,
the deterioration of vegetation and also from industrial waste discharges. These materials may
consist of dissolved organic, inorganic matter, and a few biological organisms for example, algae
and bacteria. This material causes disintegration of water quality by causing turbidity and in the
long run conveying pathogenic organisms, and eventually should vbe removed (Bahadori, 2014).
Chemical flocculation is normally involved, as either a pre-treatment or post-treatment step
following the sedimentation procedure despite the idea of the treated water and the general useful
treatment structure

As most solids suspended in water have a negative charge, they repulse each different
consequently keeping the particles from shaping an aggregate mass subsequently making them
stay in suspension. In this manner, compound coagulation is expected to defeat these powers by
balancing out the suspended particles which takes into consideration molecule impact and floc
development, which at that point can be settled and expelled by the utilization of techniques, for
example, sedimentation or filtration (Bahadori, 2014).

Consequently, Bahadori (2014) recommend that the accompanying outline contemplations

should be tended to:

•A substance flocculation unit working on refinery or petrochemical plant wastewater ought to

be gone before by pretreatment and by stream balance planned by the sort and measure of stream
adjustment. Pretreatment ought to likewise incorporate sulfide and smelling salts stripping
offices and a pilgrim to evacuate oil and settleable solids.

•Turbulence ought to be kept away from to keep extra turbidity.

•A flocculation chamber which uses a moderate speed blender, for example, mechanical
instigator with variable speed.

•Alarms and specialist meters ought to be incorporated to caution of high temperatures, and pH
meters to test for swings in alkalinity and causticity.

•The synthetic expansion hardware ought to be planned with adequate adaptability to take into
consideration the expansion of acids, antacid coagulant, and coagulant help over a scope of rates.

•Special consideration might be expected to address covering the flocculation chamber in light of
particular air contamination directions or the Companies guideline.

Dissolved and suspended particles are present in most of natural waters with a large portion of
these suspended materials arising from land erosion, the dissolution of minerals, and the decay of
vegetation as well as from several domestic and industrial waste discharges. Such material may
include suspended, dissolved organic and or inorganic matter, as well as several biological
organisms, such as bacteria, algae, or viruses. This material has to be removed, as it causes
deterioration of water quality by causing turbidity and eventually carrying pathogenic organisms
or toxic compounds, which have been adsorbed on their surfaces (Bahadori, 2014). Regardless of
the nature of the treated water and the overall applied treatment scheme, chemical flocculation is
usually included, as either a pre-treatment or post-treatment step following the sedimentation
process.
As most solids suspended in water possess a negative charge, they repel each other thus
preventing the particles from forming a collective mass thereby causing them to remain in
suspension. Therefore, chemical coagulation is intended to overcome these forces by stabilizing
the suspended particles which allows for particle collision and floc growth, which then can be
settled and removed by the use of methods such as sedimentation or filtration (Bahadori, 2014).
Therefore, Bahadori (2014) suggest that the following design considerations need to be
addressed:
A chemical flocculation unit operating on refinery or petrochemical plant wastewater
should be preceded by pretreatment and by flow equalization designed according to the
type and amount of flow equalization. Pretreatment should also include sulfide and
ammonia stripping facilities and a settler to remove oil and settleable solids.
Turbulence should be avoided to prevent additional turbidity.
A flocculation chamber which utilizes a slow speed mixer such as mechanical agitator
with variable speed.
Alarms and attendant meters should be included to warn of high temperatures, and pH
meters to test for swings in alkalinity and acidity.
The chemical addition equipment should be designed with sufficient flexibility to allow
for the addition of acids, alkali coagulant, and coagulant aid over a range of rates.
Special attention may be needed to address covering the flocculation chamber based on
specific air pollution regulations or the Companies instruction.

Bahadori, A. (2014). Waste management in the chemical and petroleum industries. West Sussex,
United Kingdom: Wiley.

QUESTION 3:
Discuss the techniques of coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation as they relate to an
engineered precipitation process for wastewater treatment.

Answer:
Chemical precipitation is widely used for removing metals and other inorganics, suspended
solids, fats, oils, greases, and some other organic substances from wastewater. Precipitation is a
method of causing contaminants that are either dissolved or suspended in solution to settle out of
solution as a solid precipitate, which then can be removed by sedimentation (Bahadori, 2014).
The degree of clarification is based on the quantity of chemical used and the actual care that is
taken during the process, however, Bahadori (2014) states that it is possible to obtain a clear
effluent that is 80 – 90% free of TSS, 40 – 70% free of BOD, and 30 – 60% free of COD.
According to Bahadori (2014), chemical flocculation can be used to remove suspended matter
and free oil from wastewater as the coagulating agent quickens the settling process. He,
Bahadori, states that a chemical flocculation unit should at minimum consist of the following
steps:
1. Chemical storage, metering, and addition
2. Coagulation or flash mixing which is the process of forming flocculent particles after adding
the required chemicals
3. Flocculation or slow-mix is the retention time where gentle agitation is used to allow floc
particles or precipitate to increase in size by agglomeration.
3. Sedimentation or clarification which uses gravity to trap the particles for removal as sediment
or sludge.
4. Sludge handling, treatment, and disposal
Bahadori, A. (2014). Waste management in the chemical and petroleum industries. West Sussex,
United Kingdom: Wiley.

QUESTION 4:
Consider that you are treating a liquid phased waste stream with high concentrations of heavy
metals in solution. You need to precipitate the heavy metals out of the solution in order to
continue your treatment process. Describe your decision to either increase the pH or decrease the
pH of the wastewater treatment system in order to effectively precipitate the heavy metals. Be
diligent to defend what you suggest with literature.

Answer:
As metals enter the treatment process, they are in a stable, dissolved aqueous form and are
unable to form solids. The goal of metals treatment by hydroxide precipitation is to adjust the pH
(hydroxide ion concentration) of the water so that the metals will form insoluble precipitates.
Once the metals precipitate and form solids, they can be removed, and the water, now with low
metal concentrations, can be discharged. Metal precipitation is primarily dependent upon two
factors: the concentration of the metal and the pH of the water. Heavy metals are usually present
in wastewaters in dilute quantities from 1 - 100 mg/L and at neutral or acidic pH values greater
than 7.0 (Lee & Saunders, 2003). Both of these factors are disadvantageous with regard to metals
removal, and require the addition of a caustic in order to raise the pH in water that contains
dissolved metals, as metals react with hydroxide ions to form metal hydroxide solids (Lee &
Saunders, 2003).
Thus, simply adjusting or raising the pH from 6.8 to 8.6 has the ability to effectively precipitate
most of the dissolved metal from the water. Since all metals display similar effects, it is clear that
the adjustment of pH is critical when the metal is to be removed from the wastewater. However,
the metals now exist as small solid particles that must be removed from the wastewater by
sedimentation and filtration processes (Bahadori, 2014).
Bahadori, A. (2014). Waste management in the chemical and petroleum industries. West Sussex,
United Kingdom: Wiley.
Lee, Mung-Kuo & Saunders, J. A. (2003). Effects of pH on Metals Precipitation and Sorption:
Field Bioremediation and. Alabama: Auburn University.