COURSE CONTENTS:
1. Introduction to Wastewater Treatment (sewage
treatment).
2. Characteristics of Wastewater
3. Preliminary and primary Wastewater Treatment Methods
4. Secondary/Biological and tertiary Wastewater treatment
5. Sewage Effluent Disposal Techniques
6. Sludge Treatment and Disposal
CHAPTER Two
Characteristics
of
Wastewater
OUTLINE
➢Physical, Chemical and Bacteriological
Characteristic of Wastewater
➢Measurement of concentration of
contaminants in wastewater
➢Types of Samples
2. CHARACTERISTICS OF WASTEWATER
❖An understanding of the properties
/characteristics of wastewater is very
important in:
✓ design, operation, and management
of collection, treatment, and disposal
of wastewater.
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❖ The general characteristics of wastewater
includes:
I. physical,
II. chemical, and
III. biological characteristics which depend on the
water usage in the community, the industrial and
commercial contributions, weather, and
infiltration/inflow
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[Link] characteristics of Wastewater
✓ Color and odor
✓ Temperature
✓ Solids(TS,TDS,TSS,VSS, Settleable solids
etc.)
❖Their concentrations provide useful
information for characterization of
wastewater and control of treatment
processes since they affect the operation and
sizing of treatment units
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2.2 MEASUREMENT OF CONCENTRATION OF
CONTAMINANTS IN WASTEWATER
❖ Total solids (TS) :
➢ TS are the total of all solids in a water sample.
➢ They include the total suspended solids, total
dissolved solids, and volatile suspended solids.
A = weight of dried residue + dish after 24 hrs at
105 oC (mg)
B = weight of dish (mg)
2.2.1 MASS BALANCE
Fig. 1 A material balance diagram
(1)
STEADY-STATE SYSTEMS
➢ Two conditions:
1. Steady-state Consrvative Systems
2. Steady-state Non-conservative Systesm
Steady-state Consrvative System
Q = flow rate
(volume/time)
C = pollutant conc (
mass/volume)
S = stream
W = wastewater
M = mixture
Fig. 2 A steady-state conservative system diagram
QS = stream flow rate (volume/time)
CS = stream pollutant conc ( mass/volume)
QW = wastewater flow rate (volume/time)
CW = wastwater pollutant conc mixture ( mass/volume)
QM = Misture of stream and wastewater flow rate
(volume/time)
CM = pollutant cocn of the mixture of stream and waterwater (
mass/volume)
Steady-state Consrvative System
➢Let us take as an example a stream to which
watsewater with conservative pollutant is discharegd
➢The concentration of pollutant at downstream boundary
of mixing zone will be Q S CS + Q W C W
CM =
QM
QM = Q S + QW
EXAMPLE 1 MIXING OF A POLLUTANT IN A RIVER
Wastewater with pollutant conc 50 mg/L is
discahrged to a stream at a rate of 5,000
m3/d. The river flow above the discharge is
15,000 m3/d with a pollutant conc 10 mg/L.
What will be the
a) the total flow at the end of the mixing zone?
b) the pollutant conc at the mixing zone?
Steady-state Non-Consrvative System
Many contaminants undergo chemical, biological, or
nuclear rxns at a rate sufficient to necessitate treating
them as non-conservative substance
Assuming that steady-state conditions are satisfied,
but the pollutants are non-conservative
Accumulation Rate = 0, but
Decay Rate # 0
Then, Eq. (1) will be
Input = Output Rate + Decay Rate
Steady-state Non-Consrvative System
Decay of non-conservative substances is
frequently modelled as a First order Rxn; i.e., it
is assumed that the rate of loss of the substance
is proportional to the amount of substance that is
present dC
= − KC
dt
Solving the differential equation C dC
C0 C
= (− K )dt
The equation gives ln(C ) − ln(C ) = ln(C C ) = − Kt
0 0
➢ Solving for concentration C = C0 e − Kt
Steady-state Non-Consrvative System
Where,
C = the pollutant concentration after time t
(mass/volume)
Co = initial pollutant concentration (mass/volume)
K = reaction rate coefficient (time-1 or 1/time)
Negative sign indicates the loss of substance with time.
Higher K vale => faster disappearance
➢ Assume that the substance is uniformly distributed
through a volume V, the total ammount of the
substance is CV. Thus, the total rate of decay of the
amount of non-conservative substances is
d (CV ) dC
=V
dt dt
➢ Implying that Decay Rate = KCV
➢ Thus, Input Rate = Output Rate + KVC
TYPES OF SAMPLES
1. Grab Samples
➢also known as a catch sample
➢consists of a single sample taken at
a specific time and particular point
➢ Grab samples are most appropriate to
➢small plants with low flows and
➢limited staffs who cannot perform
continual sampling
❖Limitations
✓a grab sample takes a snapshot
of the characteristics of the water
at a specific point and time
✓ so it may not be completely
representative of the entire flow
2. COMPOSITE SAMPLES
➢ also known as an integrated
sample
➢ is a sample which consists of a
mixture of several individual
grab samples collected at regular
and specified time periods
➢ give a more representative
sample of the characteristics of
water at the plant over a longer
period of time
❖ STRENGTH
➢ theirability to take into account
changes in flow and other
characteristics of the water over
time
➢ Frequently used to estimate
average values over a period
(24-hour)
➢ Gives information over a longer
period of time or space
❖Limitations
✓ composite samples cannot be
used for tests of water
characteristics which change
during storage (such as dissolved
gases)
✓ or of water characteristics which
change when samples are mixed
together (such as pH.)
HOW TO COMPOSITE
➢ Add equal volumes of samples
collected from different times or
locations & Mix thoroughly
GUIDELINES FOR REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLING
❖ Samples should be collected:
✓ Only where wastewater is well-mixed
✓ In the center of the flow channel
▪ Horizontally and Vertically
▪ Avoids floating scum and settled solids
❖ Ensure that sample containers are clean,
uncontaminated and suitable for the
planned analysis
❖ Recommended Sample Containers
✓ PE appropriate for most analyses
✓ Trace metals, oil and grease, volatiles
should be sampled in glass containers