Environmental Engineering - Midterm Exam MODEL Solution
Q1. A) Select the correct answer: (4 marks)
1. What is sloughing? a) BOD removal by microbial biofilm b) net bacterial growth c) loss of microorganisms in fixed growth systems d) sludge deposition in facultative ponds 2. The following equation is applicable to BOD removal in trickling filters: ET = E20 (θ)T-20 . It indicates that: a) efficiency increases as temperature goes up b) Effeciency (E) is equal to reaction rate constant (k) c) Trickling filter should operate at higher temperature than ambient d) all the above are correct 3. Effluent recycle technique is usually practiced in the following biological treatment system : a) activated sludge b) aerated lagoon c) trickling filter d) facultative ponds 4. Chlorosis and necrosis are diseases which damage tree leaves exposed to: a) CO and CO2 b) PM2.5 and PM10 c) SO2 and/or O3 d) none of the above
B) True or False: (4 marks)
1) The liquid fraction from high-rate anaerobic digester is commonly used for land application (irrigation of forest trees). FALSE 2) In domestic wastewater treatment plants, preliminary sludge (from screening and grit removal) is usually mixed with secondary sludge to produce biogas using the anaerobic digester. FALSE 3) Undesirable side reactions during sludge digestion can be avoided by keeping temp. > 35°C. FALSE 4) CH4 (g) generated by anaerobic sludge digester is also among regulated air pollutants. TRUE
Q2. Fill in blank space with best expression: (12 marks)
1. For BOD removal, fixed-growth systems using plastic media (trickling filter, RBC) are more efficient than activated sludge suspended-growth system: incorrect 2. The main difference between facultative ponds and aerated lagoons is the extent of mixing and dissolved oxygen (D.O.) concentration: correct 5. SOx emissions come mainly from fossil fuel burning, and are more dangerous to human health and environment compared to NOx. 3. The “toxic dose” of any air pollutant in the exposed body is calculated from the following relation: toxic dose = pollutant concentration x exposure time 4. Based on Monod equation, describe the microbial growth rate when S << Ks: substrate-limited 5. In activated sludge process (ASP), why mean cell residence time is much higher than hydraulic residence time? due to sludge recycle from secondary clarifier to bioreactor 6. What is the main problem in secondary clarifiers? Sludge bulking 7. Knowing that there is no effluent recycle to the RBC unit, how can we increase the BOD removal efficiency? use multiple tanks (RBCs in series) 8. Biodegradable dissolved and colloidal organic compounds in wastewater (BOD) are converted by microorganisms to several products. Which product will have the highest fraction of consumed BOD? Biomass (microbial cells)
Q3. Do necessary calculation then tabulate the final answer: (10 marks) 1. Microbial growth in bioreactors can be modeled as first order reaction. If the biomass concentration (X) is 2000 mg/L and the average growth rate constant (μ) is 5.0 d-1, what is the growth rate kg/m3/d? 2. What is bioreactor volume (m3) in activated sludge process (ASP) used to treat municipal wastewater (2160 m3/d) containing 220 mg BOD5/L (after passing through primary clarifier), keeping reactor biomass concentration at 3300 mg/L and selecting F/M ratio = 0.2 d-1 [Effluent discharge limit = 30 mg/L as BOD5]. V = ………….…. m3. 3. For the above ASP process, the hydraulic residence time is ………………….. hours. 4. For the above ASP process, the percentage BOD removal efficiency is ………………%. 5. For the anaerobic digestion of organic sludge from wastewater treatment, represented by the equation: sludge + 8 H2O → 5 CH4 (g) + 3 CO2 (g) + other products And assuming ideal gas behaviour, if the 44 m3 of methane are produced, then the theoretical volume of CO2 will be …………… m3. (atomic mass: H= 1, C= 12, O= 16)
Table of FINAL Answers of Question 4
Answer Units 1 Growth rate 10 kg/m3/d 2 Bioreactor Volume 720 m3 3 Residence time 8 h 4 Removal Efficiency 86.4 % 5 Volume of CO2 gas 26.4 m3
Equations used and calculation steps:
1) dX/dt= μ X = 5 x 2 = 10 kg/m3/d 2) Q = 2160 m3/d So = 0.22 kg/m3 X = 3.3 kg/m3 F/M = Q.So/(V.X) = 0.2 Substitute to find reactor volume, V = 720 m3 3) Residence time, θ = V/Q = 0.333 day = 8 hours 4) % Removal = {(So-Se)/So} x100% = 86.4 (Se = 30 mg/L , effluent discharge BOD5) 5) For ideal gases at constant temp. & pressure: molar ratio = volume ratio (PV = nRT) VCO2 = VCH4 x (3/5) = 26.5 m3
