LOC 2

Wastewater Treatment
 CONTENT

• - Biological treatments
• - Impact of pollutants on bio-treatment
• - Important Microorganisms
• - Bio-augmentation,
• - Use of genetically engineered organisms
• water sources can broadly be classsified into
two types :
i) surface water
- water body found flowing or standing
- streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and reservoirs
ii) ground water
underground water bearing layers of porous rocks
through which water can flow after it has passed
through the upper layers of soil.
• Water is utilized primarily for three major
activities :
Industrial
Domestic
Agricultural

• results in water contamination / pollution

which is a major issue in today’s context
 WHERE DOES POLLUTION COMES
FROM ?
• Sources of water pollution :
i) point source pollution
pollution that enters through pipes, sewers or
ditches from specific sites such as factories or
sewage treatment plants
• eg. the exxon valdez oil spill in 1989
ii) non point source pollution
polluted runoff caused by land pollutants that enters
bodies of water over large areas rather than at single
point
eg. agricultural runoff
• mining wastes
• municipal wastes
• construction sediments
Wastewater Treatment
Purpose:
To manage water discharged from homes,
businesses, and industries and to reduce
the threat of water pollution.
 WASTE WATER

• Most effluents are heterogenous, contain

dissolved and suspended matters – organic or
inorganic.

• Treatment involves removal of

contaminants.
Overall Treatment Processes
Wastewater Treatment
 Wastewater Treatment
Preliminary Treatment
- removes large objects and non-
degradable materials
- protects pumps and equipment from
damage
- 2 phases : bar screen and grit chamber
Wastewater Treatment
 Preliminary Treatment
 Wastewater Treatment
Preliminary Treatment

• Bar Screens:
– To remove sticks, rocks, logs, shoes,
dead
animals.
• Grit Removal:
– grit causes undue wear downstream unit
processes
 Wastewater Treatment
Bar Screen
- catches large
objects that have
gotten into sewer
system such as
bricks, bottles, pieces
of wood, etc.
 Wastewater Treatment
Grit Chamber
- removes rocks, gravel, broken glass, etc.
Mesh Screen
- removes diapers, combs, towels, plastic
bags, syringes, etc.
 Preliminary Treatment:
Screens
• Bar Screens
• Bar Racks
 3 stages of treatment.
Primary.
Physical separation to remove solid matter.
Effluent is allowed to settle for a few hours.

Secondary.
Organic and nutrient load is decreased by microbial activity
Up to 95% so that the effluent is of a quality
to be able to go into rivers.

Tertiary.
This is a complete treatment, but it is very expensive
and not used much.
 Wastewater Treatment
Primary Treatment
-- physical process
-- wastewater flow is slowed down
- suspended solids settle to the bottom by gravity
-- material that settles is called sludge or
biosolids
- sedimentation, chemical coagulation,
precipitation – remove coarse and fine
suspended solids.
Wastewater Treatment
Primary Treatment
Wastewater Treatment
Primary Treatment
 Biological Treatment

• Also known as Secondary treatment which

involves the use of microorganisms.
Major Players – Biological
Treatment
 Microorganisms are
used to destroy
waste materials.
 Microorganisms
include:
 Bacteria (aerobic
and anaerobic)
 Fungi
 Algae
 Actinomycetes
(filamentous
bacteria).
 Secondary Treatment
 Secondary treatment is a biological process

 Removal of colloidal and DO substances

 Utilizes bacteria and algae to metabolize

organic matter in the wastewater.

Principles of biodegradation and biosorption

 SECONDARY TREATMENT

• Principal requirements :
– Adequate supply of microbes
– Contact with effluents
– Oxygen availability
 Secondary Treatment

2 Types of Processses :

1. Anaerobic

2. Aerobic
Anaerobic Sludge Digester
Anaerobic sludge digestion
 Anaerobic
Removes 95% BOD.

This is the choice if there is a lot of insoluble matter , cellulose,

industrial waste.

Degradation is carried out in large tanks – sludge digestors or

bioreactors.

Molecular components are digested and fermented to FA, H2, CO2.

FA then to acetate, CO2 and H2.

These are substrates for methanogenic bacteria to make methane.

Major products are methane and CO2. Used or burnt off.

Anaerobic sludge digestion
 AEROBIC PROCESSES
Several kinds of aerobic decomposition processes :
i. Trickling filter
- Trickling filter is a bed of crushed rock, ~2m thick.
- Wastewater is sprayed on the top
- Liquid slowly passes through the rock, organic
matter absorbs to the rock and microbial growth
takes place.
- Complete mineralization of organic matter.
 AEROBIC PROCESSES

ii. Activated sludge.

- Wastewater is mixed and aerated
in large tank
Trickling Filter
Trickling Filter
Aeration tank, activated sludge
 ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESS

• Aerobic process
• Organic matter is brought in contact diverse
microbes in the presence of a mechanical
aerator.
• Microbes are agglomerated in the form of
flocs (floculant suspension culture ) – separate
cells from treated liquid.
• Continuous inoculation of aerated culture
with microbes
• The process consists of :
– An aeration tank
– Solid-liquid separator
– Recycling sludge pumps

Activated sludge – 95% bacteria and 5% higher

microbes
Biological floc is formed
• Wastewater after primary treatment enters the
aeration tank
• Aeration tank – organic matter is brought in
contact with the sludge ( from secondary clarifier
)
• Effluent from aeration tank is separated in a
settling tank / secondary clarifiers
• Settling tank/secondary clarifiers – separated
sludge exists without contact with the organic
matter and becomes activated.
Aeration Tank
Wastewater Treatment
Secondary Treatment
• Lagoon Systems
– hold the waste-water for several months
– natural degradation of sewage
– Usually reeds are preferred
 Treatment stages – Tertiary treatment

• remove disease-causing organisms from

wastewater
• 3 different disinfection process
– Chlorination
– UV light radiation
– Ozonation
 Chlorination

• Most common
• Advantages: low cost
& effective
• Disadvantages:
chlorine residue
could be harmful to
environment
 UV light radiation
• Damage the genetic
structure of bacteria,
viruses and other
pathogens.
• Advantages: no chemicals
are used
• water taste more natural
• Disadvantages: high
maintenance of the UV-
lamp
 Ozonation

• Oxidized most pathogenic microorganisms

• Advantages: safer than chlorination
fewer disinfection by-product
• Disadvantage: high cost
 What can effluent use for?

• discharged into a stream, river, bay, lagoon or

wetland
• used for the irrigation of a golf course, green
way or park
• If it’s sufficiently clean, it can be used for
groundwater recharge
 3 different sludge treatments

• Aerobic digestion
• Anaerobic digestion
• composting
 Aerobic digestion

• Bacterial process
• Need oxygen
• Consume organic matter
• Convert into carbon dioxide (CO2)
 Anaerobic digestion

• Bacterial process
• Do not require oxygen
• Consume organic matter
• Produce biogas, which can be used in
generators for electricity
 Composting

• aerobic process
• requires the correct
mix of carbon,
nitrogen, oxygen and
water with sludge
• Generate large
amount of heat
 Sludge disposal

• Superheat sludge and convert into small

granules that are rich in nitrogen
– Sell it to local farmer as fertilizer
• Spread sludge cake on the field
• Save landfill space
 Bioremediation Technology

• Bioremediation is the use of micro-organism

metabolism to remove pollutants.
• Technologies can be in situ or ex situ.
• In situ bioremediation involves treating the
contaminated material at the site,
• Ex situ involves the removal of the
contaminated material to be treated elsewhere
 Bioremediation Technology

 Bioreactors technologically are the most sophisticated category of

environmental bioremediation.

 Bioreactors offer a much faster means of waste biodegradation than

land treatment and more control over reaction conditions and effluent
quality than simple biofilters.
 Biological Treatment Process
1. The microorganisms are used to convert the organic matter (colloidal and
dissolved) into various gases and into cell tissue.
2. The contaminant of organic substances is ingested and digested as food along
with other energy source by the cell.

GOAL: Degrade organic substances that are hazardous to living organisms and
convert the organic contaminants into inert products.

Microorganisms eat organic

contaminant
Microorganisms digest and
convert waste to CO2 and H2O
Microorganisms give off CO2 and
H2O
 Factors Influencing Bioremediation
For bioremediation of harmful chemicals following factors are required to be
monitored in the effluent:
 Required microorganism
 Temperature
 pH level
 Dissolved oxygen concentration
 Inorganic nutrient.

These conditions allow microbes to grow and multiply—and eat more

chemicals.

When conditions are not right, microbes grow too slowly or die or they can create
more harmful chemicals.
Summary