WASTE WATER TREATMENT

Yasser ashour 127978

BRITISH UNIVERSITY IN EGYPT
 Abstract

The purpose of this experiment is to find out waste water characteristics such as
turbidity, alkalinity, TS which stands for total solids, TDS which stands for total
dissolved sloid and TDS which refer to total suspended solids. First of all, in this
experiment some technical equipment’s were used such as filter paper, electric oven,
spectrophometer, PH meter, sodium hydroxide, sulfuric acid and gas flame. After
processing the experiment, it was found that waste water turbidity is 966 NTU while
TS is 47.5 ml as well as the PH was found to be 8.

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 Table of Contents

Table of Contents ...................................................................................................... ii

Introduction ............................................................................................................... 5
Wastewater ............................................................................................................ 5
Sources of waste water........................................................................................... 6
Domestic or household activities: ....................................................................... 6
industrial wastewater: ......................................................................................... 6
Properties of waste water ....................................................................................... 6
Turbidity ............................................................................................................ 6
Temperature ....................................................................................................... 8
PH ...................................................................................................................... 8
Alkalinity ........................................................................................................... 9
2. Experimental method and procedure .................................................................... 10
2.1 Experimental procedures ................................................................................ 10
2.1.1 Total suspended and dissolved solids (TSS and TDS) .............................. 10
2.1.2 Alkalinity ................................................................................................ 11
......................................................................................................................... 12
2.1.3 Turbidity ................................................................................................. 12
2.2 Experimental equipment ................................................................................ 12
3.Experimental results ............................................................................................. 13
3.1 Experimental data and calculations for total solids (TS) ................................. 13
3.2 Experimental data and calculations for total alkalinity .................................... 14
3.2 Experimental data and calculations for turbidity ............................................. 14
4. Discussion ........................................................................................................... 15
5. Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 17
6. Sources of errors.....................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
6.1 Instrumental errors ............................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
6.2 Natural errors ....................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
6.3 Personal errors ..................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
References ................................................................................................................. v

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 List of figures

Figure 1 Jackson turbidimeter (Sincero & Sincero, 2003) ....................................... 7

Figure 2 Measurement of turbidity using light scattering (Sincero & Sincero, 2003)

.......................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Figure 3 pH scale (Spellman, 2003) .............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Figure5 Experimental procedures for determining total dissolved solid (TDS) . 10

Figure4 Experimental procedures for determining total suspended solid (TSS) 10

Figure6 pH meter ...................................................................................................... 12

Figure8 An absorbent with 2000 NTU .................................................................... 12

Figure7 The spectrophotometer .............................................................................. 12

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 List of tables

Table 1 The acceptable levels of total dissolved solids (TDS) in wastewater (Sincero

& Sincero, 2003) ............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table 2 Indication of colors in wastewater (Spellman, 2003)Error! Bookmark not

defined.

Table 3 Malodorous Compounds Associated with Untreated Wastewater (Sincero

& Sincero, 2003) ............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table 4 Ranges for hardness of water (Spellman, 2003)Error! Bookmark not

defined.

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 Introduction

Wastewater

Wastewater is any water that has been affected by human use as wastewater is

used water from any combination of domestic, industrial, commercial or agricultural

activities, surface runoff or stormwater, and any sewer inflow or sewer infiltration.

Therefore, wastewater is a byproduct of domestic, industrial, commercial or

agricultural activities. The characteristics of wastewater vary depending on the source.

Types of wastewater include: domestic wastewater from households, municipal

wastewater from communities (also called sewage) or industrial wastewater from

industrial activities. Wastewater can contain physical, chemical and biological

pollutants. Households may produce wastewater from flush toilets, sinks, dishwashers,

washing machines, bath tubs, and showers. Households that use dry toilets produce less

wastewater than those that use flush toilets. Wastewater may be conveyed in a sanitary

sewer which conveys only sewage. Alternatively, it can be transported in a combined

sewer which includes stormwater runoff and industrial wastewater. After treatment at

a wastewater treatment plant, the treated wastewater (also called effluent) is discharged

to a receiving water body. The terms "wastewater reuse" or "water reclamation" apply

if the treated waste is used for another purpose. Wastewater that is discharged to the

environment without suitable treatment causes water pollution. In developing countries

and in rural areas with low population densities, wastewater is often treated by various

on-site sanitation systems and not conveyed in sewers. These systems include septic

tanks connected to drain fields, on-site sewage systems (OSS), vermifilter systems and

many more. (Sincero & Sincero, 2003).

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Sources of waste water

Domestic or household activities:

 Human excreta (feces and urine) often mixed with used toilet paper or wipes;
this is known as blackwater if it is collected with flush toilets
 Washing water (personal, clothes, floors, dishes, cars.), also known as
greywater or sullage
 Surplus manufactured liquids from domestic sources (drinks, cooking oil,
pesticides, lubricating oil, paint, cleaning liquids.)
(Sperling, 2007)

industrial wastewater:

 Industrial site drainage (silt, sand, alkali, oil, chemical residues)

 Industrial cooling waters (biocides, heat, slimes, silt)
 Industrial processing waters
 Organic or biodegradable waste, including waste from hospitals, abattoirs,
creameries, and food factories.
 Organic or non bio-degradable waste that is difficult-to-treat from
pharmaceutical or pesticide manufacturing.
 Extreme pH waste from acid and alkali manufacturing.
 Toxic waste from metal plating, cyanide production, pesticide manufacturing.
 Solids and emulsions from paper mills, factories producing lubricants or
hydraulic oils, foodstuff.
 Water used in hydraulic fracturing
 Produced water from oil & natural gas production
(Sperling, 2007)

Properties of waste water

Turbidity

Turbidity is a condition which express the clarity of the water according to

presence of suspended matter, which results in scattering and absorbing light rays. The

greater the amount of total suspended solids in the water, the murkier it appears and the

higher the measured turbidity. However, water with low turbidity does not necessarily

exist without dissolved solids since dissolved solids do not cause light to be scattered

or absorbed, making the water look clear. In contrast to water with high turbidity which

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causes problems for the waterworks operator because, the presence of suspended solids

is considered as a reason for taste and odor problems (Spellman, 2003).

The original measuring apparatus that measures turbidity, called the Jackson

turbidimeter which was based on the absorption principle. A standardized candle was

placed under a graduated glass tube housed in a black metal box so that the light from

the candle can only be seen from above the tube as shown in Figure 1 (Sincero &

Sincero, 2003).

Figure 1 Jackson turbidimeter (Sincero & Sincero, 2003)

The water sample was then poured slowly into the tube until the candle flame

was no longer visible. The turbidity was then read on the graduation etched on the tube.

At present, turbidity measurements are done conveniently through the use of

photometers. A beam of light from a source produced by a standardized electric bulb is

passed through a sample vial. The light that emerges from the sample is then directed

to a photometer that measures the light absorbed. The readout is calibrated in terms of

turbidity. The unit of turbidity is the turbidity unit (TU) which is equivalent to the

turbidity produced by one mg/L of silica (SiO2). SiO2 was used as the reference standard

(Sincero & Sincero, 2003).

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Temperature

Temperature of wastewater is commonly higher than pure water due to presence

of higher biological activity. Moreover, the geographic location which affects the mean

annual temperature which varies in the range of 10 to 21oC with an average of 16oC.

This temperature variation results in affecting the following:

1. Chemical reactions during the wastewater treatment process.

2. Aquatic life.

3. Oxygen solubility since it is higher in cold water.

4. Optimum temperature for bacterial activity which is in the range of 25°C to 35°C.

5. Aerobic digestion and nitrification since they take place at approximately 25 °C and

stop when the temperature reaches 50 °C.

(Davis, 2010)

PH

pH is a measure of the hydrogen ion (H+) concentration that scale ranges from 0

to 14, with 7 as a neutral value as shown in Figure 3.

2 pH scale Figure

pH is an important parameter in both natural water systems and in water and

wastewater engineering since it inhibits the growth of microorganisms. However, the

tolerable concentration range for biological life in water habitats is quite narrow. For

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example, nitrification plants are found to function at only a narrow pH range of 7.2 to

9.0. In water distribution systems, the pH must be maintained at above neutrality of

close to 8 to prevent corrosion. Above pH 8, the water could also cause scaling, which

is equally detrimental when compared with corrosion (Sincero & Sincero, 2003).

Consequently, to control water coagulation and corrosion, the waterworks

operator must test for the hydrogen ion concentration of the water to determine the

water’s pH. In a coagulation test, as more alum (acid) is added, the pH value lowers. If

more lime (alkali) is added, the pH value rises. If a good floc is formed, the pH should

then be determined and maintained at that pH value until the raw water changes

(Spellman, 2003).

Alkalinity

Another important characteristic of water is its alkalinity which is a measure of

water’s ability to neutralize acid or really an expression of buffering capacity. The

major chemical constituents of alkalinity in natural water supplies are the bicarbonate,

carbonate, and hydroxyl ions. These compounds are mostly the carbonates and

bicarbonates of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. These constituents

originate from carbon dioxide (from the atmosphere and as a by-product of microbial

decomposition of organic material) and from their mineral origin. Highly alkaline

waters are unpalatable; this condition has little known significance for human health.

The principal problem with alkaline water is the reactions that occur between alkalinity

and certain substances in the water. Alkalinity is important for fish and aquatic life

because it protects or buffers against rapid pH changes. It is also important because the

resultant precipitate can foul water system appurtenances. In addition, alkalinity levels

affect the efficiency of certain water treatment processes, especially the coagulation

process (Spellman, 2003).

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 2. Experimental method and procedure

2.1 Experimental procedures

2.1.1 Total suspended and dissolved solids (TSS and TDS)

1. Weigh two 250 mL beakers (beaker A and B) and filter paper.

2. Withdraw a sample of wastewater with known volume using pipette and pour it

into beaker A.

3. Pour the sample in beaker A into beaker B using filter paper to obtain the total

suspended solids (TSS) on the surface of it.

4. Dry the wet filter paper by placing it into an electric oven for a while and then, cool

it down.

5. Weigh the dried filter paper to be able to determine the total mass of suspended

solids in the sample (TSS).

6. Place the filtrate sample in beaker B on a gas flame for a while to evaporate the

water.

7. Cool beaker B down and weigh it again to obtain the total mass of dissolved solids

(TDS).

Figure 4 Experimental procedures for determining total Figure 3 Experimental procedures for determining total
suspended solid (TSS) dissolved solid (TDS)

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8. Use the obtained masses to calculate the total solids (TS) present in the withdrawn

sample including total dissolved and suspended solids (TDS & TSS) in mg/L.

2.1.2 Alkalinity

1. Withdraw a sample of wastewater with known volume using pipette and pour it into

an empty conical flask.

2. Place a pH meter into the withdrawn sample to measure the pH of wastewater.

3. Neutralize the withdrawn sample using either 0.1 N of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) or 0.05

N of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to determine the used volume of the titrant.

4. Compute the concentration of the withdrawn sample and calculate the total alkalinity

of it.

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 Figure 5 pH meter

2.1.3 Turbidity

1. Calibrate the spectrophotometer using distilled water as a reference at specified wave

length (λ).

2. Shake the absorbent of the spectrophotometer that has a turbidity of 2000 NTU well

and measure its absorbance using spectrophotometer.

3. Shake the wastewater sample well and measure its absorbance to calculate its

corresponding turbidity with respect to absorbent.

Figure 7 The spectrophotometer Figure 6 An absorbent with 2000 NTU

2.2 Experimental equipment

 Two 250 mL beakers

 Pipette

 Filter paper

 Electric oven

 Gas flame

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  Analytical balance

 Conical flask

 pH meter

 Funnel

 Burette

 Spectrophotometer

3.Experimental results

3.1 Experimental data and calculations for total solids (TS)

1 × 10−3 𝐿
Volume of the withdrawn sample = 47.5 mL × = 0.0475 𝐿
1𝑚𝐿

Mass of 250 mL beaker = 87.4474 g

Mass of 250 mL beaker with dissolved solids = 87.4494 g

1000 𝑚𝑔
Mass of dissolved solids = 87.4494 − 87.4474 = 2 × 10−3 g × = 2 𝑚𝑔
1𝑔

2 mg mg
Total dissolved solids (TDS) = = 42.105
0.0475 L L

Mass of filter paper = 0.3298 g

Mass of filter paper with suspended solids = 0.3303 g

Mass of suspeded solids = 0.3303 − 0.3298 = 5 × 10−4 g = 0.5 mg

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 0.5 mg mg
Total suspended solids (TSS) = = 10.526
0.0475 L L

Total solids (TS) = Total dissolved solids (TDS) + Total suspended solids (TSS)

mg
= 42.105 + 10.526 = 52.631
L

3.2 Experimental data and calculations for total alkalinity

Volume of the withdrawn sample of the wastewater = 50 mL

pH of wastewater = 8

Neutralized by 0.1 N of sulfuric acid (H2 SO4 ) to get the used volume of titrant

= 1 mL

(N × V)Wastewater = (N × V)H2SO4

(N × 50)Wastewater = (0.1 × 1)H2 SO4

0.1 × 1
NWastewater = = 2 × 10−3 N
50

𝑚𝑔
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦 ( )
𝐿

(N × V)H2 SO4 × 50000

=
Volume of the withdrawn sample of the wastewater (mL)

0.1 × 1 × 50000 𝑚𝑔
= = 100 = 100 𝑝𝑝𝑚
50 𝐿

3.2 Experimental data and calculations for turbidity

At λ = 500 nm

It was found that the waste water has an absorbance of 0.28 with respect to absorbent

(A) which has turbidity of 2000 NTU with 0.58 absorbance.

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 2000 × 0.28
Turbidity of waste water = = 966 NTU
0.58

4. Discussion

As shown above concerning the obtained results for testing some characteristics

for wastewater, the total solids (TS) present in 47.5 mL is 52.631 mg/L which include

the total dissolved (TDS) and suspended solids (TSS). The obtained total dissolved

solids (TDS) is 42.105 mg/L which indicates an excellent level of TDS (<300 mg/L) in

withdrawn sample. while the total suspended solids (TSS) is 10.526 mg/L which is

within to the acceptable level of TSS (<250 mg/L).

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 However, it was noticed that cooling down of filter paper with suspended solids

and the beaker with dissolved solids has a strong effect on mass of suspended and

dissolved solids. As the time for cooling increases, the mass of solids increases. This

can refer to the nature of the solids that adsorb any water vapor from air thus it should

be cooled down to room temperature in a desiccator to prevent errors in weighing the

filter paper with suspended solids and the beaker with dissolved solids by providing a

0% humidity atmosphere. Furthermore, measuring the pH of the waste water sample to

be 8 which showed that the water is alkaline and matches with almost all waste water

sources except waste water effluent from pharmaceutical industries that are mostly

acidic. Subsequently, many microorganisms can be activated within it because, many

of them do well within a pH range of 6.5 to 8.5. However, some enzyme systems can

tolerate extreme pHs and will thrive in acidic or basic environments. Fungi, for

example, do well in an acidic environment. Most bacteria and protozoa, however, grow

best in neutral (pH 7) environments. Moreover, computing the total alkalinity of waste

water sample showed that the total alkalinity is 100 mg/L which proves that the

alkalinity of the waste water is moderately high based on U.S. geological survey.This

indicates the presence of slightly large amount of dissolved carbonates such as, calcium

carbonate (CaCO3). However, these carbonates can be removed through

boiling.Additionally, determining the turbidity of the waste water sample using

spectrophotometer at 500 nm to be 966 NTU. This is considered to be extremely high

compared to allowable turbidity for normal drinking water that should be less than 5

NTU and less than 1 NTU for ideal drinking water.

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5. Conclusion

In consequences, the main objective that was required by the experiment is to test

and specify some common properties for wastewater such as, turbidity, pH, total

alkalinity, total solids (TS) with total dissolved solids (TDS) and total suspended solids

(TSS). The experiment was installed using filter paper, electric oven,

spectrophotometer, pH meter, 0.05 N of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), 0.1 N of sulfuric

acid (H2SO4) and gas flame. The test for measuring the turbidity was done by measuring

the absorbance of a wastewater sample using spectrophotometer at 500 nm with respect

to an absorbent that has a turbidity of 2000 NTU and an absorbance of 0.58 in order to

use it to get the corresponding turbidity for wastewater samplewhich is approximately

966 NTU. Then, determining the total solids (TS) present in 47.5 mL of wastewater by

filtering the sample using filter paper and dry it in an electric oven in order to get the

mass of the suspended solids (SS). Subsequently, evaporate the filtrate by heating it

using gas flame to determine the mass of the dissolved solids (DS) and hence, compute

the total suspended solids (TSS) and total dissolved solids (TDS) in mg/L to get that

the total solids (TS) present in the withdrawn sample is 52.631 mg/L. And finally,

calculating the total alkalinity in 50 mL of the wastewater that has pH of 8 through

titrating it with 0.1 N of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) to get the volume required to neutralize

50 mL wastewater and hence, calculate the total hardness to be 100 mg/L which is

considered to be moderately hard. Accordingly, the experiment has fulfilled its

hypothesis by examining vital properties of the wastewater sample to find out, the total

alkalinity, turbidity and the total dissolved solid in a specified sample.

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 References

Davis, M. L. (2010). Water and wastewater engineering. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Sincero, A. P., & Sincero, G. A. (2003). Physical–chemical treatment of water and

wastewater. London: CRC Press.

Spellman, F. R. (2003). Handbook of water and wastewater treatment plant operations.

London: CRC Press.

Sperling, M. V. (2007). Basic principles of wastewater treatment. New Dehli: IWA

Publishing.