Niteesh Kuchakulla

Period 6
Maintaining Water Quality and Water Purification
Aeration: Aeration brings water and air in close contact in order to remove dissolved gases (such
as carbon dioxide) and oxidizes dissolved metals such as iron, hydrogen sulfide, and volatile
organic chemicals (VOCs). Aeration is often the first major process at the treatment plant.
Ex. Cone Aerator
Air Stripping: the process of moving air through contaminated groundwater or surface water in
an above-ground treatment system. Air stripping removes chemicals called volatile organic
compounds or VOCs. VOCs are chemicals that easily evaporate, which means they can
change from a liquid to a vapor (a gas).
Ex. Countercurrent packed-tower
Bioreactor: Membrane bioreactor (MBR) is the combination of a membrane process like
microfiltration or ultrafiltration with a suspended growth bioreactor, and is now widely used for
municipal and industrial wastewater treatment.
Ex. Membrane bioreactor
Constructed wetland: A constructed wetland (CW) is an artificial wetland created for the purpose
of treating anthropogenic discharge such as municipal or industrial wastewater, or stormwater
runoff.
Ex. Surface flow constructed wetland
Deep-well injection: Deep injection wells are also called brine disposal wells, and are officially
known as class II underground injection wells. They can take any fluid related to oil and gas
drilling, including frack waste water.
Ex. Class I injection wells
Enhanced remediation: enhanced bioremediation is a process in which indigenous or inoculated
micro-organisms (e.g., fungi, bacteria, and other microbes) degrade (metabolize) organic
contaminants found in soil and/or ground water, converting them to innocuous end products.
Ex. Microbe enhanced bioremediation
Fluid-vapor extraction: an accepted, recognized, and cost-effective technology
for remediating soils contaminated with volatile and semivolatile organic compounds. This
technology is known in the industry by various other names, such as soil venting and vacuum
extraction. The process involves inducing airflow in the subsurface with an applied vacuum,
and thus enhancing the in situ volatilization of contaminants. Depending on the depth of soil
being remediated, extraction of air laden with contaminant vapors can be achieved with
vertical extraction wells or horizontal extraction pipes.
Ex. Dual-phase extraction
Granulated activated carbon: Activated carbon is commonly used to adsorb natural organic
compounds, taste and odor compounds, and synthetic organic chemicals in drinking water
treatment.
Ex. H-type granular activated carbon
Hot water or Steam flushing: Hot Water Treatment and Steam Flushing/Stripping. Hot Water
Treatment and Steam Flushing/Stripping. Description. This process injects hot water and steam
into an aquifer to mobilize volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic
compounds (SVOCs).
Ex. Basket Strainers
In-well air stripping: Air is injected into a double screened well, lifting the water in the well and
forcing it out the upper screen. Simultaneously, additional water is drawn in the lower screen.
Once in the well, some of the VOCs in the contaminated ground water are transferred from the
dissolved phase to the vapor phase by air bubbles. The contaminated air rises in the well to the
water surface where vapors are drawn off and treated by a soil vapor extraction system.
Ex. Circulating Wells
Ion exchange: Ion exchange (IE) is a water treatment method where one or more undesirable
contaminants are removed from water by exchange with another non-objectionable, or less
objectionable substance. Both the contaminant and the exchanged substance must be dissolved
and have the same type (+,-) of electrical charge.
Ex. Zeolite softening
Phytoremediation: Phytoremediation is one of the biological methods that can be used in
remediation of polluted sites in situ. There are various techniques of phytoremediation which are
applicable in wastewater treatment, in surface water and groundwater purification, in the removal
of excessive nutritive substances from water reservoirs, and in reclamation of soil.
Ex. Phytoextraction
UV oxidation: a destruction process that oxidizes organic contaminants in water. It works by the
adding oxidizing agents such as ozone (O3) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to the contaminated
groundwater. The contaminated solution is passed through a chamber where it is exposed to
intense UV radiation.
Ex. Advanced Oxidation Processes
Adsorption/absorption: Adsorption and absorption are both sorption processes.
Absorption occurs when atoms pass through or enter a bulky material. During absorption, the
molecules are entirely dissolved or diffused in the absorbent to form a solution. Once dissolved,
the molecules cannot be separated easily from the absorbent.
Ex. Synthetic resin