Kalinga University

Department of Commerce and Management

Course: BBA/BBAGM Sem- VI

Subject- Environmental Science
Subject code- BBA603/BBAGM605

Unit- 3

Water pollution:
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (like oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, aquifers,
and groundwater) usually caused due to human activities. Water pollution is any change in the
physical, chemical or biological properties of water that will have a detrimental consequence of
any living organism.

Various Sources of Water Pollution:

There are various classifications of water pollution. The two chief sources of water pollution can
be seen as Point and Non-Point. Point refers to the pollutants that belong to a single source. An
example of this would be emissions from factories into the water. Non-Point, on the other hand,
means pollutants emitted from multiple sources. Contaminated water after rains that has travelled
through several regions may also be considered as a Non-point source of pollution.
1. Industrial waste
Industries produce a huge amount of waste which contains toxic chemicals and pollutants which
can cause air pollution and damage to us and our environment. They contain pollutants such as
lead, mercury, sulfur, asbestos, nitrates, and many other harmful chemicals.
Many industries do not have a proper waste management system and drain the waste in the fresh
water which goes into rivers, canals and later into the sea. The toxic chemicals have the
capability to change the color of water, increase the number of minerals, also known
as eutrophication, change the temperature of water and pose a serious hazard to water organisms.

2. Sewage and wastewater

The sewage and wastewater that is produced by each household is chemically treated and
released into the sea with fresh water. The sewage water carries harmful bacteria and chemicals
that can cause serious health problems. Pathogens are known as a common water pollutant; the
sewers of cities house several pathogens and thereby diseases.
Microorganisms in water are known to be causes of some very deadly diseases and become the
breeding grounds for other creatures that act as carriers. These carriers inflict these diseases via
various forms of contact onto an individual. A very common example of this process would be
Malaria.

3. Mining activities
Mining is the process of crushing the rock and extracting coal and other minerals from
underground. These elements when extracted in the raw form contain harmful chemicals and can
increase the number of toxic elements when mixed up with water which may result in health
problems. Mining activities emit a large amount of metal waste and sulphides from the rocks
which is harmful to the water.

4. Marine dumping
The garbage produced by each household in the form of paper, aluminum, rubber, glass, plastic,
food is collected and deposited into the sea in some countries. These items take from 2 weeks to
200 years to decompose. When such items enter the sea, they not only cause water pollution but
also harm animals in the sea.

5. Accidental oil leakage

Oil spill poses a huge concern as a large amount of oil enters into the sea and does not dissolve
with water; thereby opens problem for local marine wildlife such as fish, birds and sea otters. For
e.g.: a ship carrying a large quantity of oil may spill oil if met with an accident and can cause
varying damage to species in the ocean depending on the quantity of oil spill, size of the ocean,
the toxicity of pollutant.

6. The burning of fossil fuels

Fossil fuels like coal and oil when burnt produce a substantial amount of ash in the atmosphere.
The particles which contain toxic chemicals when mixed with water vapor result in acid rain.
Also, carbon dioxide is released from the burning of fossil fuels which result in global warming.
7. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides
Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used by farmers to protect crops from insects and
bacteria’s. They are useful for the plant’s growth. However, when these chemicals are mixed up
with water produce harmful effects in plants and animals. Also, when it rains, the chemicals mix
up with rainwater and flow down into rivers and canals which pose serious damages for aquatic
animals.

Effects of Pollution of Water

1. Diseases: In humans, drinking or consuming polluted water in any way has many disastrous
effects on our health. It causes typhoid, cholera, hepatitis and various other diseases.
2. Destruction of Ecosystems: Ecosystems are extremely dynamic and respond to even small
changes in the environment. Water pollution can cause an entire ecosystem to collapse if left
unchecked.
3. Eutrophication: Chemicals in a water body encourage the growth of algae. These algae form
a layer on top of the pond or lake. Bacteria feed on this algae and this decreases the amount
of oxygen in the water body, severely affecting the aquatic life there.
4. Affects the food chain: Disruption in food chains happens when toxins and pollutants in the
water are consumed by aquatic animals (fish, shellfish etc.) which are then consumed by
humans.

HYDROSPHERE:
This includes all the surface and ground water resources such as oceans, seas, rivers, streams,
lakes, reservoirs, glaciers, polar ice caps, ground water and water locked in rock and crevices and
minerals lying deep below the earth's crust. Fig.2
1. Earth is called blue planet because 80 per cent of its surface is covered by water (97 per
cent of the earth's water resources is locked up in the oceans and seas, 2.4 per cent is
trapped is giant glaciers and polar ice caps.) Only 1% of the total water supply is available
as fresh water in the form of rivers, lakes, streams and ground water for human
consumption and other uses.
2. Water is universal solvent.
3. Water is also the main medium by which chemical constituents are transported from one
part of an ecosystem to others.
4. Water has high specific heat, latent heat and relatively high freezing point.
5. Surface water contains a lot of organic matter and mineral nutrients, which feed large
bacteria population and algae.

CLASSIFICATION/TYPES OF WATER POLLUTANTS:

The various types of water pollutants can be classified in to following major categories:
1) Organic pollutants, 2) Pathogens, 3) Nutrients and agriculture runoff, 4) Suspended solids
and sediments, 5) Inorganic pollutants (salts and metals), 6) Thermal Pollution 7) Radioactive
pollutants.

1 ORGANIC POLLUTANT
Organic pollutants can be further divided in following categories:
a) Oxygen Demanding wastes:
The wastewaters such as, domestic and municipal sewage, wastewater from food processing
industries, canning industries, slaughter houses, paper and pulp mills, tanneries, breweries,
distilleries, etc. have considerable concentration of biodegradable organic compounds either
in suspended, colloidal or dissolved form. These wastes undergo degradation and
decomposition by bacterial activity. The dissolved oxygen available in the water body will be
consumed for aerobic oxidation of organic matter present in the wastewater. Hence, depletion
of the DO will be a serious problem adversely affecting aquatic life, if they DO falls below
4.0 mg/L. This decrease of DO is an index of pollution.

b) Synthetic Organic Compounds:

Synthetic organic compounds are also likely to enter the ecosystem through various manmade
activities such as production of these compounds, spillage during transportation, and their
uses in different applications.
These include synthetic pesticides, synthetic detergents, food additives, pharmaceuticals,
insecticides, paints, synthetic fibers, plastics, solvents and volatile organic compounds
(VOCs). Most of these compounds are toxic and biorefractory organics i.e., they are resistant
to microbial degradation. Even concentration of some of these in traces may make water unfit
for different uses. The detergents can form foams and volatile substances may cause
explosion in sewers. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are used in the industries since 1930s
which are complex mixtures of chlorobiphenyls. Being a fat soluble they move readily
through the Wastewater Management 2 environment and within the tissues or cells. Once
introduced into environment, these compounds are exceedingly persistent and their stability to
chemical reagents is also high.

c) Oil:
Oil is a natural product which results from the plant remains fossilized over millions of years,
under marine conditions. It is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and degradable under
bacterial action, the biodegradation rate is different for different oils, tars being one of the
slowest. Oil enters in to water through oil spills, leak from oil pipes, and wastewater from
production and refineries.
Being lighter than water it spreads over the surface of water, separating the contact of water
with air, hence resulting in reduction of DO. This pollutant is also responsible for endangering
water birds and coastal plants due to coating of oils and adversely affecting the normal
activities.
It also results in reduction of light transmission through surface waters, thereby reducing the
photosynthetic activity of the aquatic plants.
Oil includes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), some of which are known to be
carcinogenic.

2. PATHOGENS
The pathogenic microorganisms enter in to water body through sewage discharge as a major
source or through the wastewater from industries like slaughterhouses. Viruses and bacteria
can cause water borne diseases, such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery, polio and infectious
hepatitis in human.
3. NUTRIENTS
The agriculture run-off, wastewater from fertilizer industry and sewage contains substantial
concentration of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous. These waters supply nutrients to the
plants and may stimulate the growth of algae and other aquatic weeds in receiving waters.
• Thus, the value of the water body is degraded.
• In long run, water body reduces DO, leads to eutrophication and ends up as a dead pool of
water.
• People swimming in eutrophic waters containing blue-green algae can have skin and eye
irritation, gastroenteritis and vomiting. M.M. Ghangrekar, IIT Kharagpur 3
• High nitrogen levels in the water supply, causes a potential risk, especially to infants under
six months. This is when the methaemoglobin results in a decrease in the oxygen carrying
capacity of the blood (blue baby disease) as nitrate ions in the blood readily oxidize ferrous
ions in the hemoglobin.

4. SUSPENDED SOLIDS AND SEDIMENTS

These comprise of silt, sand and minerals eroded from land. These appear in the water
through the surface runoff during rainy season and through municipal sewers. This can lead to
the siltation, reduces storage capacities of reservoirs. ¾ Presence of suspended solids can
block the sunlight penetration in the water, which is required for the photosynthesis by bottom
vegetation. ¾ Deposition of the solids in the quiescent stretches of the stream or ocean bottom
can impair the normal aquatic life and affect the diversity of the aquatic ecosystem. ¾ If the
deposited solids are organic in nature, they will undergo decomposition leading to
development of anaerobic conditions. ¾ Finer suspended solids such as silt and coal dust may
injure the gills of fishes and cause asphyxiation.

5. INORGANIC POLLUTANTS
Apart from the organic matter discharged in the water body through sewage and industrial
wastes, high concentration of heavy metals and other inorganic pollutants contaminate the
water. These compounds are non-biodegradable and persist in the environment. These
pollutants include mineral acids, inorganic salts, trace elements, metals, metals compounds,
complexes of metals with organic compounds, cyanides, sulphates, etc. ¾ The accumulation
of heavy metals may have adverse effect on aquatic flora and fauna and may constitute a
public health problem where contaminated organisms are used for food. ¾ Algal growth due
to nitrogen and phosphorous compounds can be observed. ¾ Metals in high concentration can
be toxic to biota e.g. Hg, Cu, Cd, Pb, As, and Se. Copper greater than 0.1 mg/L is toxic to
microbes.

6. THERMAL POLLUTION
Considerable thermal pollution results due to discharge of hot water from thermal power
plants, nuclear power plants, and industries where water is used as coolant. Wastewater
Management 4 As a result of hot water discharge, the temperature of water body increases,
which reduces the DO content of the water adversely, affecting the aquatic life. This alters
the spectrum of organisms, which can adopt to live at that temperature and DO level. When
organic matter is also present, the bacterial action increases due to rise in temperature; hence,
resulting in rapid decrease of DO. The discharge of hot water leads to the thermal
stratification in the water body, where hot water will remain on the top.

7. RADIOACTIVE POLLUTANTS
Radioactive materials originate from the following: Mining and processing of ores Use in
research, agriculture, medical and industrial activities, such as I131, P32, Co60, Ca45, S35,
C14, etc. Radioactive discharge from nuclear power plants and nuclear reactors, e.g., Sr90,
Cesium Cs137, Plutonium Pu248, Uranium-238, Uranium-235, Uses and testing of nuclear
weapons.
• These isotopes are toxic to the life forms; they accumulate in the bones, teeth and can cause
serious disorders.
• The safe concentration for lifetime consumption is 1 x 10-7 micro-curies per ml.
 Trace elements contamination of water:
What are trace contaminants?
 Trace contaminants and residues are incredibly small particles or microorganisms that can
make their way into our food system. These particles or microorganisms can include
anything from bacteria to pesticides to minerals found in or on consumables like food and
water.
 Trace elements (or trace metals) are minerals present in living tissues in small amounts.
 This chapter is a summary of the role of the following essential trace elements in the
etiology and prevention of chronic diseases: iron, zinc, fluoride, selenium, copper,
chromium, iodine, manganese, and molybdenum.

RACE ELEMENTS AND DRINKING WATER

 Concentrations of trace elements are more likely to be a problem in groundwater than in
surface water, unless the area is impacted by mining. That’s because when groundwater
moves through the rocks and sediments that make up an aquifer, some of the minerals in or
adhered to those rocks and sediment are released into the water. Groundwater that has been
in an aquifer a long time has had more time to interact with aquifer materials than
groundwater that has recharged recently. Additionally, geochemical conditions, such as pH
and redox, change as groundwater slowly moves along a flow path from recharge to
discharge—those geochemical conditions can affect whether metals are released into the
groundwater.
 Groundwater age is just one of the factors that can affect the concentration of trace
elements. Other factors include climate and, geology, and human actions. Climate4 plays a
role because in regions where precipitation is low and evaporation rates are high; there is
less water to dilute the products of rock weathering. Geology plays a role because the
metals available for leaching into groundwater depend on types of minerals present in the
rocks and sediment. Finally, human actions such as irrigation and pumping can affect
concentrations of trace elements in groundwater, often by changing the geochemical
conditions, such as pH and redox conditions, within the aquifer.
 Metals reported to widely occur at concentrations above drinking-water benchmarks in
untreated groundwater from some aquifers include manganese and the metalloid arsenic.
Other metals, like iron, might not be present at levels that are a health risk, but can be a
nuisance by making water unpleasant to drink or by staining fixtures. Levels of metals can
 be lowered through treatment. Water from public-supply wells is required to be tested by
the well operator on a routine basis to help assure that the water provided to consumers
meets Federal and State water-quality standards, which exist for many but not all metals.
Routine testing of water from domestic (private) wells is not required, and it is up to the
homeowner or private-well owner to test, maintain, and treat the water from their well. The
best way to know the water quality of a domestic well is to have it tested.

DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO), BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD) AND

CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (COD)

DO (Dissolved Oxygen):
 A DO test measures the concentration of oxygen dissolved in a water or wastewater
sample.
 DO measurement most often takes place using an electronic meter fitted with a
specialized DO probe.
 The concentration of DO in a water sample is significantly influenced by:
o Temperature: As water temperature increases, DO decreases (i.e., as water gets warmer,
it holds less oxygen) (Table 2).
o Salinity: As water salinity increases, DO decreases (i.e., as water gets saltier, it holds less
oxygen).
o Atmospheric Pressure: As pressure increases, DO also increases (i.e., water holds less
oxygen as you increase altitude).

Determination:
 Specialized 300 mL BOD bottles designed to allow full filling with no air space and
provide an airtight seal are used. The bottles are filled with the sample to be tested or
dilution (distilled or demonized) water and various amounts of the wastewater sample are
added to reflect different dilutions. At least one bottle is filled only with dilution water as
a control or "blank."
 A DO meter is used to measure the initial dissolved oxygen concentration (mg/L) in each
bottle, which should be a least 8.0 mg/L.
BOD (Biochemical oxygen demand):
 BOD is the traditional, most widely used test to establish concentration of organic matter
in wastewater samples (i.e., relative strength).
 BOD is based on the principle that if sufficient oxygen is available, aerobic biological
decomposition (i.e., stabilization of organic waste) by microorganisms will continue until
all waste is consumed.
Determination:
 The BOD test is also known as "BOD5" since it is based on the accurate measure of DO
(dissolved oxygen) at the beginning and end of a five-day period in which the sample is
held in dark, incubated conditions (i.e., 20°C or 68°F).
 The change in DO concentration over five days represents the "oxygen demand" for
respiration by the aerobic biological microorganisms in the sample.
 The five-day completion window is an inherent disadvantage of the test because
wastewater treatment system personnel cannot use it to make real-time operational
adjustments.
 An extended UBOD (ultimate BOD) test that measures oxygen consumption after 60
days or more is sometimes required in wastewater permits.
 COD is the most popular alternative test to BOD for establishing the concentration of
organic matter in wastewater samples.

Significance:
1. It is useful in designing of treatment plants & calculation of waster load
2. The higher the BOD of a sample the higher will be pollution
3. It helps in pollution control.

COD (chemical oxygen demand):

 The COD test only takes a few hours to complete, giving it a major advantage over the 5-
day BOD test. Wastewater treatment system personnel can use COD as an almost real-
time operational adjustment parameter.
 COD can test wastewater that is too toxic for the BOD test.
 The COD test should be considered an independent measure of the organic matter in a
wastewater sample rather than a substitute for the BOD test.
 Determination:
 The COD test uses a chemical (potassium dichromate in a 50% sulphuric acid solution)
that “oxidizes” both organic (predominate) and inorganic substances in a wastewater
sample, which results in a higher COD concentration than BOD concentration for the
same wastewater sample since only organic compounds are consumed during BOD
testing.
 The most popular current testing method for COD involves using sealed and heated (i.e.,
closed reflux) low-range (3-150 ppm) or high-range (20-1500 ppm) pre-prepared vials
that change colour from orange to green based on the amount of oxidation and that are
read using a laboratory colorimeter.

Significance:
1. It measures the effect of pollutants on dissolve oxygen.
2. It helps in designing & calculation of efficiency of the water treatment plants.
3. It helps in deciding the disposal of domestic & industrial effluents in various types of
water streams.

Eutrophication:
Introduction:
 Eutrophication is the process in which a water body becomes overly enriched with nutrients,
leading to plentiful growth of simple plant life. The excessive growth (or bloom) of algae and
plankton in a water body are indicators of this process.
 Eutrophication is considered to be a serious environmental concern since it often results in
the deterioration of water quality and the depletion of dissolved oxygen in water bodies.
Eutrophic waters can eventually become “dead zones” that is incapable of supporting life.
 Aquatic ecosystems are home to several plant and animal life forms – both simple and
complex. The process of eutrophication destroys the balance in these ecosystems by favoring
the growth of simple plant life. This greatly decreases the biodiversity of the ecosystem by
killing off several desirable species.

Causes of Eutrophication-
The availability of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus limits the growth of plant life in an
ecosystem. When water bodies are overly enriched with these nutrients, the growth of algae,
plankton, and other simple plant life is favored over the growth of more complex plant life.
Phosphorus is considered one of the primary limiting factors for the growth of plant life in
freshwater ecosystems. Several sources also claim that the availability of nitrogen is an important
limiting factor for the growth of algae.
Phosphates tend to stick to the soil and are transported along with it. Therefore, soil erosion is a
major contributor to the phosphorus enrichment of water bodies. Some other phosphorus-rich
sources that enrich water bodies with the nutrient include:
 Fertilizers
 Untreated sewage
 Detergents containing phosphorus
 Industrial discharge of waste.
Among these sources, the primary contributors to eutrophication include agriculture and
industrial wastes.
The excessive growth of algae in eutrophic waters is accompanied by the generation of a large
biomass of dead algae. These dead algae sink to the bottom of the water body where they are
broken down by bacteria, which consume oxygen in the process. The overconsumption of
oxygen leads to hypoxic conditions (conditions in which the availability of oxygen is low) in the
water. The hypoxic conditions at the lower levels of the water body lead to the suffocation and
eventual death of larger life forms such as fish.

WASTE WATER TREATMENT

Introduction:
 Wastewater treatment is the process of converting wastewater – water that is no longer
needed or is no longer suitable for use – into bilge water that can be discharged back into
 the environment. It’s formed by a number of activities including bathing, washing, using the
toilet, and rainwater runoff. Wastewater is full of contaminants including bacteria, chemicals
and other toxins. Its treatment aims at reducing the contaminants to acceptable levels to make
the water safe for discharge back into the environment.
 There are two wastewater treatment plants namely chemical or physical treatment plant, and
biological wastewater treatment plant. Biological waste treatment plants use biological
matter and bacteria to break down waste matter. Physical waste treatment plants use chemical
reactions as well as physical processes to treat wastewater.
 Biological treatment systems are ideal for treating wastewater from households and business
premises. Physical wastewater treatment plants are mostly used to treat wastewater from
industries, factories and manufacturing firms. This is because most of the wastewater from
these industries contains chemicals and other toxins that can largely harm the environment.
Methods and equipments used to treat waste water:
Preliminary Treatment:
 Screening and Shredding:
Screening removes roots, rags, cans, and other large debris. A comminute grinds up rags and
debris but does not physically remove debris from the wastewater. Debris is captured on screens
consisting of parallel bars placed at an angle. Screenings collected on bars must be raked off
(manually or mechanically). Screenings are typically disposed of in sanitary landfills. Debris
ground-up by a comminute typically becomes part of the waste sludge.

 Grit Chamber:
Grit is removed from wastewater to minimize abrasion to pumps and equipment, and to prevent
the accumulation of grit in treatment units, particularly sludge treatment and storage units, which
would reduce the capacity of those units. Velocity of wastewater flow is controlled so that
material (coffee grounds, sand, eggshells, etc.) will settle out.
Grit is typically disposed of in sanitary landfills; however, other options include incineration and
land application. Grit Channels: o Hand-cleaned or mechanically cleaned horizontal channel.
Flow of wastewater is reduced to around 1 foot per second to allow grit to settle. Cleaning the
grit form the channel is important to maintain grit removal efficiency. Cleaning the channel helps
to keep the flow velocity of wastewater low. As more grit builds up, the velocity of wastewater
increases and removal efficiency decreases. Fig. 1, other grit removal technologies:
a) Aerated grit chambers
b) Centrifugal grit separators

Fig.1 Aerated grit chambers

Primary Treatment:
Primary Treatment is a physical (non-biological) treatment process that takes place in a tank and
allows substances to settle or float, and be separated from the water being treated.
Remove settleable and floating solids prior to secondary treatment.
Flow controlled (reduced) so that settle able solids fall to bottom of tank and lighter materials
rise to water surface. Primary Sedimentation tanks are also called primary clarifiers. The layer of
solids that settle out is sometimes referred to as the sludge blanket. Solids that settle out in the
primary clarifier must be removed (wasted) periodically to digestion. Floating material is
removed by a surface skimmer and conveyed to the digestion process. If sludge removed is
watery and not substantial, the removal rate may be too high. Sludge is settleable solids
separated from liquids during processing, or deposits of foreign materials on the bottoms of
streams or other bodies of water. Fig.2

Fig.2. Primary sedimentation tank

Secondary Treatment (Biological) -
Secondary Treatment is a biological treatment process used to remove dissolved and suspended
organic materials from the water being treated. Eliminate the dissolved and nonsettleable (also
known as colloidal) organic material remaining in the waste after primary treatment.

Fixed/ Packed Bed Reactor:

A fixed bed reactor is a cylindrical tube filled with catalyst pellets with reactants flowing through
the bed and being converted into products. The catalyst may have multiple configurations
including: one large bed, several horizontal beds, several parallel packed tubes, and multiple
beds in their own shells. The various configurations may be adapted depending on the need to
maintain temperature control within the system. The pellets may be spherical, cylindrical, or
randomly shaped pellets. They range from 0.25 cm to 1.0 cm in diameter. The flow of a fixed
bed reactor is typically downward. Fig.3- Packed bed reactor. Fig.3

Fig.3- Packed bed reactor.

Trickling filter:
A trickling filter is a type of wastewater treatment system. It consists of a fixed bed
of rocks, coke, gravel, slag, polyurethane foam, sphagnum peat moss, ceramic, or plastic media
over which sewage or other wastewater flows downward and causes a layer of microbial slime
(biofilm) to grow, covering the bed of media. Aerobic conditions are maintained by splashing,
diffusion, and either by forced-air flowing through the bed or natural convection of air if the
filter medium is porous.
Settled sewage flow enters at a high level and flows through the primary settlement tank. The
supernatant from the tank flows into a dosing device, often a tipping bucket which delivers flow
to the arms of the filter. The flush of water flows through the arms and exits through a series of
holes pointing at an angle downwards. This propels the arms around distributing the liquid
evenly over the surface of the filter media. Most are uncovered (unlike the accompanying
diagram) and are freely ventilated to the atmosphere.

The removal of pollutants from the waste water stream involves

both absorption and adsorption of organic compounds and some inorganic species such
as nitrite and nitrate ions by the layer of microbial bio film. The filter media is typically chosen
to provide a very high surface area to volume. Typical materials are often porous and have
considerable internal surface area in addition to the external surface of the medium.

Passage of the waste water over the media provides dissolved oxygen which the bio-film layer
requires for the biochemical oxidation of the organic compounds and releases carbon
dioxide gas, water and other oxidized end products. As the bio film layer thickens, it eventually
sloughs off into the liquid flow and subsequently forms part of the secondary sludge. Typically, a
trickling filter is followed by a clarifier or sedimentation tank for the separation and removal of
the sloughed film. Other filters utilizing higher-density media such as sand, foam and peat moss
do not produce a sludge that must be removed, but require forced air blowers and backwashing
or an enclosed anaerobic environment. Fig.4

Fig.4 Trickling filter

Rotating Biological Contactor:

A rotating biological contactor or RBC is a biological treatment process used in the treatment
of wastewater following treatment. The primary treatment process means protection by removal
of grit and sand and coarse material through a screening process, followed by a removal process
of sediment by settling.
The RBC process involves allowing the wastewater to come in contact with a biological medium
in order to remove pollutants in the wastewater before discharge of the treated wastewater to
the environment, usually a body of water (river, lake or ocean). A rotating biological contactor is
a type of secondary (Biological) treatment process.
It consists of a series of closely spaced, parallel discs mounted on a rotating shaft which is
supported just above the surface of the waste water. Microorganisms grow on the surface of the
discs where biological degradation of the wastewater pollutants takes place. Fig. 5

Fig. 5- Rotating Biological Contactor

Tertiary Treatment:
Chemical Precipitation of Phosphorus
Chemical addition process using aluminum or iron added to the aeration tank effluent ahead
of the secondary clarifier to chemically bond to phosphorus. Metal-phosphorus compound
settles out in secondary clarifier. Easy process to add on to existing activated sludge process.
Does not require anaerobic zone.

Chlorination
• Chlorine solution can be generated from mixing chlorine gas with treated effluent or
purchased commercially as sodium hypochlorite solution.
• Chlorine solution is added to clarified effluent from secondary clarifiers.
• Good initial mixing of chlorine solution and clarifier effluent is important to process
efficiency.
• Effluent after addition of chlorine solution passes through “chlorine contact tank”. Tank
provides detention time needed to insure contact of the disinfectant with the organisms.
• Contact tanks sized for a minimum of 30 minutes of hydraulic detention time at design
annual average daily flow.

Ultraviolet Light Radiation:

• Effluent flows through banks of UV bulbs where UV radiation deactivates microorganisms.
• Does not require contact tank with 30 minutes detention time.
• Bulbs must be replaced periodically and cleaned regularly to maintain sufficient UV
radiation.
• Does not have any residual disinfecting capabilities.

Digestion -
Continued biological treatment of the sludge wasted from the primary and secondary
treatment processes to reduce volatile solids (organic) content.
• Digestion carried out by aerobic bacteria in an aerated tank.
• Capable of up to 50% reduction in volatile solids content.
• Volatile Solid Reduction efficiency depends on temperature and on length of time sludge
remains in the digester.
• Does not generate a usable gas end-product such as the methane gas produced by anaerobic
digestion process.

Anaerobic Digestion:
Digestion carried out by anaerobic bacteria in a heated, unaerated tank.
• Capable of up to 50% reduction in volatile solids content, depending on temperature and
length of time sludge remains in digestion.
• For best efficiency, sludge in tank should be heated to 95°F.
• Methane gas is generated by biological action of the bacteria. Acid forming bacteria
consume the volatile organic solids creating organic acids. Methane-forming bacteria then
convert the organic acids to methane gas.
===//===