Waste Treatment Processes

(CHEM4015/CIVE4140)
Week 1
Waste Characterization

Course Learning Outcomes

Evaluate wastewater characteristics parameters; BOD, UBOD and rate constant.

Lecturer Name: Dr Nitin Raut

Dr Amal Al Saadi
Prof Rajamohan Natarajan
Academic Year: 2023-2024
 Why Treating Wastewater?
Domestic and industrial processes use and pollute water
=> wastewater
• Minimize effects of discharge on environment
• Remove pollutants for recycling and/or reuse of water

Objectives of Wastewater Treatment

• Ensure good water quality in natural environment
• Remove pollutants most efficiently and economically
• Avoid or minimise other environmental impacts like:
• + solid disposal + gas emission
• + odour creation + noise generation

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 Wastewater Characterization
1. Identify wastewater sources and flows 2. Specify likely key pollutants

3. Select suitable sampling strategies 4. Measure pollutant concentrations

5. Calculate pollutant load 6. Identify main components to be removed

Sources and Flow Rates

Essential step to identify problem area
How to define sources & flows?
1. Use “systems/mass balance” approach 2. Utilize wastewater audits

3. Anticipate future requirements 4. Reduce > Reuse > Recycle

5. Simple is better than complex

Source reduction can drastically improve wastewater situation

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 CHARACTERISTICS OF
INDUSTRIAL AND MUNICIPLE
WASTE WATER

Physical Chemical Biological

Toxicity
Characteristics Characteristics Characteristics

Inorganic Measurement of
Organic Matter Matter Organic
Compound

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 Types of Pollutants

Physical Chemical Biological

plants (algae, grass,

solids, temperature, colour, Organic carbohydrates, fats, etc.),
turbidity, salinity, odour microorganisms
proteins, toxins…
(bacteria, viruses)
inorganic
alkalinity, N, P, S, pH,
metals, salts…
gaseous H2S, CH4, O2

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 Measurement Techniques
• Physical, chemical or biological methods
• Summary of basic methods in APHA (US)(American Public Health
Assosiation): “Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and
Wastewater”
• Many instrument methods use Flow Injection Analysis(FIA).
• Good laboratory practice essential eg. dilution, weighing, filtration,
standards
Solids
• Solids separated by filtration into non/soluble and by high temperature oxidation into
non/volatile
• Solids often form large percentage of total organic material
• Solids degradation often slow due to mass transfer limitations
• Sources: food processing, abattoirs rural industries, domestic
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 Solids Fractions

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https://slideplayer.com/slide/3404417/
 Practical Exercises: Solids
In solids analysis, the following measurements were obtained:
–Sample size: 50 mL
–After filtration/evaporation:
12mg filter cake, 2.5mg solids in filtrate
–After high temperature oxidation of Suspended solids:
2.0 mg filter cake
What is TSS, VSS and TS in the sample?
Solution
TSS : 12 mg / 50 ml = 0.24 mg/ml
VSS : (12 – 2.0 mg) / 50 ml = 0.2 mg/ml
TS : (12+2.5) mg /50 ml = 0.29 mg/ml

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Odour Temperature Salinity
Often very small Industrial WW Affects ecosystems
amounts cause often elevated in receiving waters
nuisance (eg. H2S temperature
approx. 10 ppb) Reduces O2
Affects treatment solubility
performance of
Physical/chemical Restricts reuse
many treatment
measurement applications (eg.
system
difficult
Gas eg. O2 irrigation)
solubility is lower
Olfactometer at higher Critical for
determines dilution temperature downstream water
necessary until no utilisation
odour detected Effluent
temperature usually Causes density
specified in license currents,
limits stratification etc.
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 Color & Turbidity Organic Matter Carbohydrate

Color of ww & Largest component Composition: C, H, O

biological treatment: group in most ww: Soluble: sugars,
- light brown-gray 75 % of TSS, 40 % of TDS alcohols,
fresh, aerob – dark (domestic ww) Volatile fatty acids
brown-black Composition highly (VFA) (ex. acetic acid,
old, anaerob industry dependent propionic acid or
Soluble dyes (stains) Types: carbohydrates, butyric acid) rapidly
also cause colouring, biodegradable
very difficult to remove proteins, oil & grease,
Insoluble: starches,
Turbidity measures organic toxins (priority
cellulose, fibres
light-transmission pollutants, eg.
(relatively) slowly
Caused by colloidal or pesticides), others eg. biodegradable
suspended matter surfactants, dyes etc. Sources: sugar mills,
Can be correlated with Mostly biodegradable, breweries, dairy
suspended solids some very slowly factories, canneries etc

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 Proteins Oil and grease Toxics (Priority
Pollutants)
Composition: C, H, O, N Composition: C, H, Organic toxic chemicals,
(16%), S, P. O pesticides, herbicides,
Hydrophobic solvents, etc
Solubility varies with protein
substances: grease, Inorganic substances eg.
type and ww conditions (eg:
fat, oil As, Se, heavy metals
pH, salt conc.).
Mostly insoluble, (Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, Ag etc.)
Quite rapidly biodegradable
floating, easily Normally very low
to amino acids except when
adsorbed on effluent limits
insoluble.
surfaces
Anaerobic degradation Sources: chemical
Slowly
creates H2S and other factories, metal
biodegradable, even
sulphur components => manufacturing,
when hydrolysed to
odor. tanneries, agriculture,
glycerol and fatty
etc
Sources: dairy factories, acids
meat processing Sources: meat
(abattoirs),food processing processing, food Oil
& Grease
production, chemical
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factories
Measurement Mostly overall content measured:
of Organic –Total organic carbon: TOC
–Biochemical oxygen demand: BOD
Content –Chemical oxygen demand: COD

BOD & COD most commonly used for design and effluent specifications
Oil & grease: organic solvent extraction
Priority pollutant analysis highly specific

Biochemical Measures oxygen required for biological oxidation of organics

Oxygen BOD: oxygen uptake by microorganism during aerobic growth in
ww sample
Demand
(BOD)
Standard BOD: 5 day incubation @ 20°C
Samples require a series of dilutions to achieve suitable oxygen
consumption

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Calculation
(1.6)

Seeding: Provides micro-organisms to oxidize organic matter 13

https://www.academia.edu/37008087/Water_and_Wastewater_Calculations_Manual14
https://www.studocu.com/en-gb/document/university-of-strathclyde/water-and-wastewater-
treatment-design/tutorial-work/wwwt-tutorial-1/1489570/view
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 Modeling of BOD Reaction
The rate of BOD oxidation (exertion) is modeled based on the assumption that the amount
of organic material remaining at any time t is governed by a first-order function:
d BODr / dt = - k1 BODr 2-58
Integrating between the limits of UBOD and BODt and t=0 and t=t yields:
BODr = UBOD (e-k1t) 2-59
Where BODr = amount of waste remaining at time t (days) expressed in oxygen
equivalent , mg/l
k1 = First order reaction constant (1/d)
UBOD = Total or ultimate carbonaceous BOD, mg/L
t = Time
Thus the BOD exerted up to time t is given by:
BODt = UBOD – BODr = UBOD - UBOD (e-k1t) = UBOD (1- e-k1t ) 2-60
k1T = k1 20 q T-20
Q = 1.047 approx

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Example 3: Calculation of BOD
Determine the 1-day BOD and ultimate first-stage BOD for a wastewater at 20oC whose 5-day
BOD at 20oC is 200 mg/L. The reaction constant k (base e)=0.23d-1 at 20oC . What would have
been the 5-day BOD if the test had been conducted at 25oC?

Solution:
1) Determine the ultimate carbonaceous BOD
BOD5 = UBOD  BODr = UBOD(1  e  k1t )
200 = UBOD(1  e 5 x 0.23 ) = UBOD(1  0.36)
UBOD = 293mg / L
2) Determine the 1-day BOD at 20°C
BODt = UBOD(1  e  k1t )
BOD1 = 293(1  e 0.23 x1 ) = 293(1  0.795) = 60.1mg / L
3) Determine the 5-day BOD at 25°C k1T = k1 20 q T-20
k125 = 0.23(1.047) 25 20 = 0.29d 1
BOD 5 = 293(1  e 0.29 x 5 ) = 224mg / L 18
https://scetcivil.weebly.com/uploads/5/3/9/5/5395830/m9_l12-water_quality_and_estimation_of_organic_content-contd.pdf
 Practical Concerns with BOD Test
• Only partial degradation of organics
• Cannot be used for mass balancing
• Very high (>1000mg/L) and very low (<10mg/L) values often
unreliable
• Industrial wastewater can contain inhibitors, leading to low BOD results
• Nitrification needs to be inhibited to avoid measuring partial oxidation
of NH4+

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) 1/2

• Also measures oxygen required, but for chemical oxidation of organics
• COD: chemical oxidants used for oxidation of organics to CO2, H2O & NH3
• Standard COD: K2Cr2O7 2- /H2SO4 @ 145°C
• During oxidation dichromate is used up and remaining oxidant is measured
Spectrophotometrically to determine oxidant used
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Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
• Oxygen equivalent of organic material that can be oxidized using
dichromate in a hot acid solution.

The excess dichromate is titrated with

Standard ferrous ammonium sulfate

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Theoretical Oxygen Demand (ThOD)
stoichiometric: 1 mole of O2 required to convert 1 mole of carbon to CO2

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 BOD, COD, and TOC
• Typical range of BOD/COD for untreated municipal WW is 0.3 - 0.8
• Typical range for BOD/TOC is 1.2 - 2.0

• If BOD/COD > 0.5

• WW is considered to be easily treatable by biological means
• If BOD/COD < 0.3
• WW may have some toxic components and/or the addition of acclimated
micro-organisms may be required

Wastewater Flow Terms

• Equivalent person (EP): average wastewater amount produced per person
• Typically 1 EP equivalent to 200-250 l/d per person for domestic households
• Average Dry Weather Flow (ADWF): average flow over 7 days without rain
• Peak Dry Weather Flow (PDWF): maximal flow during day (1.5-3 x
ADWF)
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 Typical Diurnal Flow Pattern

Infiltration: is a ground water that enter sanitary sewer systems through cracks and/or
Leaks in the sanitary sewer pipes. 23
 WW Flowrates
• Rated capacity of a WW treatment plant is based on the average
annual daily flowrate plus a factor of safety
• Factors that can influence the plant design:
• WW characteristics Constituent concentrations Flowrates

Mass loading [kg/d] = (concentration [g/m3])*(flowrate [m3/d])

(103 g/kg)

Design Flowrates and Mass Loadings

• Process units and hydraulic conduits must be sized to accommodate the
anticipated peak flowrates that will pass through the plant

• Many WW treatment units are designed/sized based on the detention time or

overflow rate (flowrate per unit surface area) required to achieve specific
BOD and TSS levels in the effluent

• Over-sizing the equipment can decrease the efficiency of the plant 24

 Sampling & Measurements
• On-line measurements where possible
• Appropriate sampling crucial to achieve relevant results
• Sampling schedule
based on expected
(or measured)
variance over time
• Automatic sampling
often essential

Composite Sampling https://studylib.net/doc/5496826/wastewater-characterization

• Reduces analysis costs and levels out concentration fluctuations

• Composite samples should be taken proportional to flow
• Individual samples can be collected and composited later
• Ensure appropriate sample conservation/ storage from sampling time until analysis
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Flow Proportional Composite Sample

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 Design Flowrates and Mass Loadings
• A number of operating conditions must be considered in the design of a WW
treatment facility:
• Peak hydraulic flowrate
• Minimum hydraulic flowrate
• Maximum mass loading
• Minimum mass loading Initial and future
• Sustained mass loading

• Refer to Table 3-20 in Metcalf and Eddy

Typical Municipal WW
TSS: 220 mg/L VSS: 165 mg/L
BOD5: 220 mg/L COD: 500 mg/L
TKN: 40 mg-N/L Ammonia: 25 mg-N/L
TP: 8 mg-P/L Ortho-phosphate: 5 mg-P/L

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 Nitrogen Compounds & Units

Metcalf & Eddy, Inc. (2003). Wastewater engineering: treatment, disposal and reuse.4th edition, McGraw Hill, Inc., New York, NY

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 Phosphorus Compounds & Units

Metcalf & Eddy, Inc. (2003). Wastewater engineering: treatment, disposal and reuse.4th edition, McGraw Hill, Inc., New York, NY

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References
1. Metcalf & Eddy, Inc. (2003). Wastewater engineering: treatment,
disposal and reuse.4th edition, McGraw Hill, Inc., New York, NY
2. https://studylib.net/doc/5496826/wastewater-characterization

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