WATER AND WASTEWATER QUALITY

Causes of water pollution

Chemicals many are toxic Pathogens produce waterborne disease in either human or animal hosts. Physical or sensory changes (eg. Elevated temperature and discoloration) Often, concentration is the key in determining what is natural component of water and what is a contaminant. Oxygen-depleting substances (plant matter) as well as man-made chemicals cause turbidity

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WATER AND WASTEWATER

Suspended solids
Classified by Size and state (Solids can be classified as suspended, settleable, colloidal or dissolved) Chemical characteristics Size distribution (distribution of solid is determined by computing the percentage of filterable solids by size range)

Solid typically includes Inorganic solid (silt,sand gravel, and clay from riverbanks) Organic matter (plant fiber and microorganisms from natural or man-made sources) Suspended material may provide adsorption sites for biological and chemical agents. These adsorption site provide attached microorganisms a protective barrier against chemical action of chlorine. Degraded biologically resulting in objectional byproducts.

Turbidity
Is a measure if the extent to which light is either adsorbed or scattered by suspended material in water. Caused by Algal blooms In surface water, mostly related to smaller inorganic components of suspended solids, primarily clay particles. Microorganisms and vegetable material Detergents, soaps and various emulsifying agents

 Turbidity is useful in defining drinking water quality Turbidity measurements are important whenever UV radiation is used in disinfection process. Turbidity high, UV disinfection low, colloidal material provide adsorption site from disinfection process.

Temperature
Temperature increases in surface water affects solubility of oxygen in water Rate of bacterial activity Rate at which gases are transferred to and from the water.

Temperature has effect on the rate of chemicals dissolve and react. When water is cold, more chemicals are required for efficient coagulation and flocculation to take place. When temp. high, higher chlorine demand because of increased reactivity and often increased level of algae and organic matter in raw water.

CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WATER AND WASTEWATER

Alkalinity
Definition: the quantity of ions in water that will react to neutralize hydrogen ions. Thus, a measure of the ability of a solution to neutralize acids. Major chemical constituents of alkalinity in natural water supplies are the bicarbonate, carbonate, and hydroxyl ions of (Na,Potassium, Mg, and Ca) These constituents originate from carbon dioxide (from the atmosphere and as a byproduct of microbial decomposition of organic material) and from their mineral origin (primarily from chemical compounds dissolved from rocks and soil)

 Highly alkaline waters are unpalatable, this condition has little known significance for human health. The principal problem with alkaline water is the reaction that occur between alkalinity and certain cations in the water. The resultant precipitate can foul pipes and other water-systems appurtenances. Alkalinity is important to fish and aquatic life because it protects or buffers against rapid Ph changes. Alkalinity levels affect the efficiency of certain water treatment processes, especially the coagulation process.

Hardness
Hardness is due to presence of multivalent metal ions that come from minerals dissolved in water. Hardness is based on the ability of these ions to react with soap to form a precipitate or soap scum. In fresh water, primary ions are calcium and magnesium, iron and manganese may also contribute.

Hardness classified as Carbonate hardness (equal to alkalinity) Noncarbonate hardness (may include nitrates and chlorides) Hardness is either Temporary (can be removed by boiling) Permanent (cannot be removed by boiling)

 When washing with a bar of soap, there is a need to use more soap to get a lather whenever washing in hard water. The problem is the precipitate formed by the hardness and soap adheres to just about anything (tubes,sink, dishwashers) and may stain clothing, dishes, and other item. Today, synthetic soap and detergents that do not react with hardness are developed. Scaling occurs when carbonate hard water is heated and calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide are precipitated out of solution, forming a rock-hard scale that clogs hot water pipes and reducing the efficiency of boilers,water heaters and heat exchangers.

Fluoride
Fluoride is seldom found in appreciable quantities in surface water and appears in groundwater in only a few geographical regions The use of fluoride in small concentration(about 1mg/L in drinking water) can be beneficial. Experience shown that drinking water containing proper amount of fluoride can reduce tooth decay by 65% in children between age 12 to 15

Organics Substances
Carbohydrates are widely distributed in nature and found in wastewater, are organic substances that include starch,cellulose,sugars, and wood fibers; they contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen In lower organisms(eg.bacteria), carbohydrates are utilized to synthesize fats, protein and energy. In absence of oxygen, end products of decomposition of carbohydrates are organic acids,alcohols and gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. The formation of large quantities of organic acids can affect treatment process by overtaxing the buffering capacity of wastewater, resulting in a drop in Ph and a cessation of biological activity.

 Detergents (surfactants) are large molecules that are slightly soluble in water and cause foaming in wastewater treatment plants and in the surface waters into which the effluents is discharged. Detergents affects wastewater treatment processes by Lowering surface tension of water and increase its ability to wet surface with which they come in contact Emulsify grease and oil, deflocculate colloids Induce flotation of solids and give rise to foam May kill useful bacteria and other living organisms

BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WATER AND WASTEWATER

VIRUSES
Viruses are smallest biological structure known so they can only be seen with the aid of an electron microscope. Testing for viruses in water is difficult because: They are small They are of low concentration in natural waters They are numerous varieties They are unstable They are limited identification methods available

Equalization
Flow equalization Constituents equalization Flow equalization refer to changing the variation in rate of flow throughout the processing and cleanup cycles to a more steady flow rate that is more nearly equal to average flow rate for that period of time Constituents equalization refer to the concentration of the target pollutants in the wastewater stream. Throughout 24hour day, the concentrations of individual constituents in a given industrial waste stream typically vary over wide ranges, as process started,operated,shut down, and cleaned.

 Equalization can be either offline or online Online flow equalization is accomplished by allowing the waste stream to flow into a basin. The waste is then transferred from basin (large and containing enough waste) to the treatment system at a constant rate. Offline equalization is accomplished by restricting the flow-regulating valve or a constant speed pump.

Chemical Methods of Wastewater Treatment

Chemical methods of wastewater treatment take advantage of two types of properties: The chemical characteristics of pollutants The chemical characteristics of the products of reaction between pollutants and treatment chemicals. There are 6 methods: Reaction to produce an insoluble solid Reaction to produce an insoluble gas Reaction to produce a biologically degradable substance Reduction of surface charge to produce coagulation Oxidation or reduction reaction. Reaction to destroy or deactivate chelating agent Chelating agents form multiple bonds with a single metal ions. Chelants are chemicals that form soluble complex molecules with certain metal ions, inactivating the ions so that they cannot normally react with other elements or ions to produce precipitates or scale

Jar Test Apparatus

To determine the correct chemical dosage, a jar test is performed. Jar tests simulate full scale coagulation and flocculation processes to determine optimum chemical dosages. The test can be used to: Select the most effective chemical Select the optimum dosage Determine the value of a flocculant aid and the proper dose.

Coagulation
Chemical coagulation conditions water for further treatment by the removal of: Turbidity,color and bacteria Iron and manganese Taste and odor and organic pollutants Chemical coagulation is usually accomplished by the addition of metallic salts such as aluminium sulfate (alum) or ferric chloride. Alum is the most commonly used coagulant in water treatment and is most effective between Ph ranges of 5.0 and 7.5

Factors influence the chemical coagulation

In addition to ph, a variety of other factors influence the chemical coagulation process including: Temperature Influent quality Alkalinity Type and amount of coagulant used Type and length of flocculation Type and length of mixing

Coagulants
Coagulants such as alum,ferric sulfate and cationic polyelectrolyte all work by suppressing the zeta potential of the colloidal system to a value sufficiently low that the colloidal particles will collide and then coalesce under the influence of slow stirring. Anionic and non-ionic polyelectrolyte can greatly aid in building much larger flocculated particles that will both settle faster and produce less turbid effluent. The anionic and anionic polyelectrolyte are referred ad coagulant aids. Mechanism When alum dissolve in water, some of aluminium goes into true solution as the trivalent aluminium ion,Al+++. If some colloidal particles have a negative surface charge, the trivalent aluminium ion will be attracted to these negatively charged surfaces and will suppress the net negative surface charge, which is to say they will suppress the zeta potential. Other metal salts such as ferric sulfate,ferric chloride and aluminium chloride, coagulate colloidal suspension with effectiveness similar to that of alum. Laboratory experimentation is always required to determine the optimum doses of coagulation and coagulant aids.