Week 4

NPTEL ONLINE CERTIFICATION COURSE
Jul-Nov 2024
Wastewater Treatment and Recycling

Week 4
Course Instructor: Teaching Assistant (TA):

Prof. Manoj Kumar Tiwari Akash Saha
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur Prime Minister’s Research Fellow
Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
OVERVIEW
Fate and Transport of Contaminants Discharged in River
• Natural purification in rivers, fate and transport of contaminants, major processes, classification, factors affecting
natural attenuation
Natural Purification in Rivers: Effects on DO and BOD
• Zones of pollution in river streams, indices of self-purification, DO Deficit of a polluted river, de-oxygenation and re-
oxygenation, Streeter-Phelps equation
BOD and Variations in streams Receiving Wastewater
• DO and BOD post Wastewater Discharge in a River, Critical Stretch in a River Receiving Wastewater Discharge, The
Self-Purification Constant, Application and Limitations of the Streeter Phelps Equation, Attenuation of Pollutants on
Land or Subsurface Application
Engineered Treatment of Wastewater: Concept of Mass Balance
• Engineered System for Treatment of Wastewater, Concept of Mass Balance, Principles of Conservation of Mass,
Concept of Mass Balance: Control Volume
Mass Balance: Application in Specific Cases
• Specific Conditions for Mass Balance, Batch Reactors vs Continuous Reactors, Completely Mixed vs Plug Flow
Systems, Conservative vs Non-Conservative Contaminants, Steady vs Unsteady State, Reaction Kinetics, Mass
Balance of Contaminants
Mass Balance in Reactors: Application and Practice Problems
• Mass Balance in a Continuously Mixed System, Plug Flow System, Batch Systems, Application of Mass Balance in
Wastewater Treatment, Practice Problems
1. Identify the INCORRECT pairs among the following:
a. Physicochemical process – Oxidation and reduction

b. Biochemical process – Sediment transport
c. Physical process – Filtration and aeration
d. None of the above
Correct Answer: b. Biochemical process – Sediment transport
Detailed Solution: Sediment transport is a physical purification process rather than a biochemical
process (Refer to slide 7, module 4).
2. A flowing river is an example of a:
a. Completely stirred tank reactor

b. Continuous flow stirred tank reactor
c. Plug flow reactor
d. Batch reactor
Correct Answer: c. Plug flow reactor
Detailed Solution: River is a long narrow channel, which is a property of a plug flow reactor. (Refer
to Slide 50, Lecture 21, Module 4).
3. Arrange the following zones formed in an aquatic body receiving polluted water according
to increasing dissolved oxygen (DO) content.
(I) – Clearwater zone; (II) – Decomposition zone; (III) Recovery zone; (IV) – Septic zone
a. IV – III – II – I
b. II – III – IV – I
c. I – III – II – IV
d. IV – II – III - I
Correct Answer: d. IV – II – III - I
Detailed Solution: The DO is lowest in the septic zone, followed by the decomposition zone,
recovery zone, and then clear water zone (Refer to slide 11 & 12, module 4).
4. The oxygen deficit (D) at any time in a polluted water body is computed as:
a. Minimum DO, at constant temperature and pressure

b. Saturation DO + Actual DO, at a constant pressure
c. Saturation DO – Actual DO, at a constant temperature
d. Saturation DO – Actual DO, at a constant pressure
Correct Answer: c. Saturation DO – Actual DO, at a constant temperature
Detailed Solution: The oxygen deficit (D) at any time in a polluted water body is defined as the
difference between the actual DO at that time and the saturated DO at the same water temperature
(Refer to slide 14, page 7, lecture module 4).
5. Identify the zone in a water body which is the least favorable for sustaining aquatic life.
a. Decomposition zone
b. Recovery zone
c. Both a. and b.
d. Clear water zone
Correct Answer: a. Decomposition zone
Detailed Solution: This zone is unfavorable for aquatic life; though certain fish species feeding on
fresh organic matter and certain worms (Limondrilus and Tubifex) may occur with the sewage fungi
such as sphaerotilusnatans (Refer to slides 11, module 4).
6. Physical processes of self-purification of running stream are due to:
a. Sedimentation, oxidation, coagulation

b. Dilution, sedimentation, oxidation
c. Dilution, sedimentation, coagulation
d. Dilution, oxidation, coagulation
Correct Answer: b. Dilution, sedimentation, oxidation
Detailed Solution: Physical process of purification refers to the purifying effect caused by the
hydraulic characteristics of the river water. (Refer Slide 7, Lecture 16, Module 4).
7. Steady Flow is:
a. No change in velocity with distance

b. Velocity changes with time
c. No change in flow rate with time in a stretch
d. Flow rate changes with time
Correct Answer: c. No change in flow rate with time in a stretch.
Detailed Solution: Steady flow refers to the situation where the hydraulic properties of the channel
do no change with respect to time. (Refer Slide 48, Lecture 21, Module 4).
8. Which of the following statements are TRUE about plug flow reactors?
a. Fluid is mixed in the radial direction.

b. There is negligible longitudinal mixing
c. Example include pipe flow
d. All of the above
Correct Answer: d. All of the above
Detailed Solution: Refer to Slide no. 50, module 4.

9. When sewage enters the river, the rapid depletion of dissolved oxygen is due to:
a. Change in the temperature in the river water

b. The suspended particles in rivers and waste.
c. Respiratory activity of aquatic plants in the river
d. Microbial activity
Correct Answer: d. Microbial activity
Detailed Solution: Biodegradation of organic matter by microorganisms leads to oxygen

consumption. (Refer to Slide 7, Lecture 16, Module 4).
10. Which of the following statements are correct?
(I) Conservative pollutants are stable and persistent in nature.
(II) Non-conservative pollutants are perceived as a bigger environmental threat
(III) Inorganic pollutants are typically non-conservative in nature
a. None of the statements are correct

b. Statements (I) and (II) and correct
c. Only statement (I) is correct
d. All statements are correct
Correct Answer: c. Only statement (I) is correct
Detailed Solution: Conservative pollutants are non-degradable, thus stable and persistent in nature.
Non-conservative pollutants are easily degraded in nature, hence poses lesser risk than conservative
pollutants. Inorganic pollutants are non-degradable, thus, are primarily of conservative nature.
11. Determine the 5-day BOD of a wastewater sample at 30 °C if the ultimate first stage BOD
of the same wastewater sample is 290 mg/L at 20 °C. The reaction constant k 20 (base e) =
0.23/day
a. 169 mg/L
b. 290 mg/L
c. 320 mg/L
d. 243 mg/L
Correct Answer: d. 243 mg/L
Detailed Solution:
k30 = k20(1.047)30-20 = 0.364/day
BOD5 = UBOD(1 – e-kt) = 243 mg/L
12. Determine the ultimate first stage BOD for a wastewater sample whose 5-day BOD is 223
mg/L. The reaction constant k (base e) = 0.26/day.
a. 11
b. 3
c. 223.5 mg/L
d. 306.5 mg/L
Correct Answer: d. 306.5 mg/L
Detailed Solution:
5-day BOD = UBOD(1-e-5×0.26).
Therefore, UBOD = 306.54 mg/L
13. In QUESTION 12, determine the 3-day BOD of the same wastewater sample.
a. 200 mg/L
b. 166 mg/L
c. 306 mg/L
d. 223 mg/L
Correct Answer: b. 166 mg/L
Detailed Solution:
3-day BOD = UBOD(1-e-3×0.26)
= 166 mg/L
14. Industrial wastewater stream enters the stream having a BOD concentration of 10 mg/l and
a flowrate of 20 m3/s. If the flowrate of wastewater is 1.5 m3/s, and its BOD concentration is 250
mg/l, then the BOD concentration in the stream at the point downstream of the point of
confluence of wastewater with the stream will be:
a. 267 mg/L
b. 26.75 mg/L
c. 260 mg/L
d. 21.50 mg/L
Correct Answer: b. 26.75 mg/L
Detailed Solution:
BOD of industrial wastewater (M1) = 250 mg/L; Flow rate of industrial wastewater (Q 1) = 1.5 m3/s
BOD of stream (M2) = 10 mg/L; Flow rate of stream (Q2) = 20 m3/s
Therefore, BOD at the concentration of the point of confluence = (M 1×Q1 + M2×Q2)/(Q1 + Q2)
= 26.75 mg/L
15. A 400 m3 CSTR receives water from a single inlet at a 40 m 3/h flow containing 20 mg/L of
total Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (TPAHs). Determine the steady state TPAHs
concentration in the single exit stream, if TPAHs are degraded at first−order kinetics with
k=0.23 h.
a. 6 mg/L
b. 3 mg/L
c. 10 mg/L
d. 25 mg/L
Correct Answer: a. 6 mg/L
Detailed Solution:
For a CSTR, Cout = C and under first-order kinetics, dC/dt = -kC
Therefore, the mass balance equation: QCin – QC – VkC = 0
C = Cin{Q/(Q+kV)}
= 20{ 40/(40+0.23×400)}
= 6.06 mg/L
16. a) A Plug flow reactor will treat completely biodegradable wastewater of BOD 350 mg/L to
discharge standards of 20 mg/L of BOD. Suppose the flow rate is 1 MLD. Calculate the volume
of the reactor if 0.4/hr is the rate constant of degradation of the organic matter.
b) For the same efficiency desired, how many times the corresponding Completely mixed
reactor be large compared to the PFR—taking the rate constant to be the same.
Correct Answer: (a) 298.146 m3

(b) 1718.75 m3, 5.76 times
17. Three CSTRs in series, with the second reactor being twice the size of the first and third
reactor. The pollutant concentration is 150 mg/L, and the flow rate is 400 litres/min. The
reaction rate constant is 0.0070 /hr. Rate only depends on the pollutant. Calculate the removal
efficiency for each reactor along with the corresponding HRT if an overall removal of 80% is
desirable.
Correct Answer: Removal efficiencies are 35.33 %, 52.577 % and 35.33 % respectively.
18. The organic composition of wastewater, approximated as glucose (C 6H12O6) of 100 mg/L
reduced in a CSTR to 10 mg (as Glucose only). Assuming degradation producing no net
biomass growth and maintaining oxygen content as 2 mg/L in the reactor. Incoming
wastewater has negligible oxygen content. Calculate the oxygen to be supplied in the reactor
with the first-order reaction rate constant as 0.4/day. The wastewater flow rate is 2 MLD.
Correct Answer: Oxygen to be supplied is 4337.5 kg/d.

19. A 24 m3 reactor operating in plug flow mode reduces BOD in wastewater from a value of
250 mg/l to 10 mg/l in a detention time of 10hrs. If rate constant is 0.23/day. Find the order of
the reaction (to the nearest integer).
Correct Answer: 2nd order reaction.

20. An experiment shows that a concentration of 0.1 g/m 3 of free available chlorine yield a 99%
kill of bacteria in 8 min. What contact time is required to achieve a 99.9% kill at a free
available chlorine concentration of 0.05 g/m3? Assume that Chick’s Law and Watson’s Law
hold with n=1.
Correct Answer: The contact time required is 24 minutes.

21. A municipal wastewater treatment plant discharges secondary effluent to a surface stream.
The worst conditions are known to occur in the summer months when stream flow is low and
water temperature is high. Under these conditions, measurements are made in the lab and in
the field to determine the characteristics of the wastewater and stream flows.
The wastewater is found to have a maximum flow of 15,000 m 3/day, a BOD5 of 40 mg/L, a
dissolved oxygen concentration of 2 mg/L, and a temperature of 25 ºC. The stream (upstream
from the point of wastewater discharge) is found to have a minimum flow rate of 0.5 m 3/s, a
BOD5 of 3 mg/L, a dissolved oxygen concentration of 8 mg/L, and a temperature of 22 ºC.
Complete mixing of wastewater and stream is almost instantaneous, and the velocity of the
mixture is 0.2 m/s. From the flow regime, the reaeration constant is estimated to be 0.4/day for
20 ºC conditions.
(a) Find the critical deficit and its location.

(b) Find the dissolved oxygen concentrations at 20, 75 and 100 kms.

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NPTEL ONLINE CERTIFICATION COURSE

Wastewater Treatment and Recycling

Course Instructor: Teaching Assistant (TA):

a. Physicochemical process – Oxidation and reduction

Correct Answer: b. Biochemical process – Sediment transport

a. Completely stirred tank reactor

Correct Answer: c. Plug flow reactor

Correct Answer: d. IV – II – III - I

a. Minimum DO, at constant temperature and pressure

Correct Answer: c. Saturation DO – Actual DO, at a constant temperature

Correct Answer: a. Decomposition zone

a. Sedimentation, oxidation, coagulation

Correct Answer: b. Dilution, sedimentation, oxidation

a. No change in velocity with distance

Correct Answer: c. No change in flow rate with time in a stretch.

a. Fluid is mixed in the radial direction.

Correct Answer: d. All of the above

Detailed Solution: Refer to Slide no. 50, module 4.

a. Change in the temperature in the river water

Correct Answer: d. Microbial activity

Detailed Solution: Biodegradation of organic matter by microorganisms leads to oxygen

a. None of the statements are correct

Correct Answer: d. 243 mg/L

Correct Answer: d. 306.5 mg/L

Correct Answer: b. 166 mg/L

Correct Answer: a. 6 mg/L

Correct Answer: (a) 298.146 m3

Correct Answer: Oxygen to be supplied is 4337.5 kg/d.

Correct Answer: 2nd order reaction.

Correct Answer: The contact time required is 24 minutes.

(a) Find the critical deficit and its location.

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