Aquatech Engineering Services Limited

GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Biochemical Oxygen demand (BOD):
The strength of the wastewater is often determined bymeasuring the amount
of oxygen consumed by microorganism like bacteria in biodegrading
theorganic matter. The measurement is known as the Biochemical Oxygen Demand
(BOD).Microorganisms such as bacteria are responsible for decomposing
organic waste. When organicmatter such as dead plants, leaves, grass clippings,
cellulose components, manure, sewage, organicwaste like dyes, fats and oils, or
even food waste is present in a water supply, the bacteria will begin the
process of breaking down this waste. When this happens, bacteria in
aerobic process,robbing other aquatic organisms of the oxygen they need to
live, consume much of the availabledissolved oxygen.If there is a large quantity
of organic waste in the water supply, there will also be a lot of bacteria present
working to decompose this waste. In this case, the demand for oxygen will be high
(due toall the bacteria) so the BOD level will be high. As the waste is consumed or
dispersed through thewater, BOD levels will begin to decline. Nitrogen and
phosphates in a body of water can also contribute to high BOD levels. Nitrates
and phosphates are plant nutrients and can cause plant life and algae to
grow quickly. When plantsgrow quickly, they also die quickly. This
contributes to the organic waste in the water, which is then decomposed by
bacteria. This results in a high BOD level. The temperature of the water canalso
contribute to high BOD levels. For example, warmer water usually will
have a higher BODlevel than colder water. As water temperature increases,
the rate of photosynthesis by algae andother plant life in the water also
increases. When this happens, plants grow faster and also diefaster. When
the plants die, they fall to the bottom where they are decomposed by
bacteria. The bacteria require oxygen for this process so the BOD is high at this
location. Therefore, increasedwater temperatures will speed up bacterial
decomposition and result in higher BOD levels.W h e n B O D l e v e l s a r e h i g h ,
d i s s o l v e d o x y g e n ( D O ) l e v e l s d e cr e a s e b e c a u s e t h e b a c t e r i a
a r e consuming the oxygen that is available in the water. Since less dissolved oxygen
is available in thewater, fish and other aquatic organisms may not survive. Textile
mill wastewater possesses a veryhigh BOD like 400 600 mg/l. It is necessary to
reduce this BOD value up to a level less than 30mg/l before discharging them
into the environment like canals or rivers. If a water body of high B O D i s
d i s c h a rge d i n t o t h e s e a o r v er y l a r ge r i v e r t h e n o ff c o u r s e t h e
c o n c e n t r a t i o n o f B O D decreases due to dilution and have little or no
harmful effect on the aquatic life or environment. Therefore if it is possible to

discharge a highly toxic effluent in sea or large river no treatment

isnecessary.Though it was not mentioned, the dissolved oxygen (DO) is a
highly significant parameter todefine the BOD or COD of a wastewater.
The amount of oxygen present in a certain amount of water in dissolved state
is known as DO. It is normally expressed as mg/l. Water may contain DOranging
from 0 to 18 mg/l but in most cases of normal waters, DO lies between 7-9 mg/l.
Aquaticlives require certain level of DO to survive in the water. In case of wastewater
the microorganismsr e q u i r e o x y g e n t o c o n s u m e t h e o r g a n i c
wastes. As a result the DO of water decreases 2

Aquatech Engineering Services Limitedtremendously and becomes a threat to

the life of aquatic species. Textile effluents possess very low DO, which is
unsuitable for discharging to the environment. During treatment of wastewater air is
blown through the effluent when oxygen is dissolved in the effluent as a
result DO levelraises and as the DO increases the BOD/COD decreases.
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD):
This is a means of measuring the ability of wastewater to s u s t a i n a q u a t i c
l i f e , e s s e n t i a l f o r t h e pr e s e r v a t i o n o f t h e e n v i r o n me n t . I t a l s o
e n a b l e s p r o p e r assessment of treatment plant performance. Aquatic
organisms and animals require dissolvedoxygen to flourish. The Chemical
Oxygen Demand (COD) test gives an indication of the impactof discharge
waters on aquatic life by measuring the oxygen depleting nature of the
dischargewater.C O D i s b a s e d o n t h e f a c t t h a t n e a r l y a l l - o r ga n i c
c o m p o u n d s c a n b e f u l l y o x i d i z e d t o c a r b o n dioxide with a strong oxidizing
agent under acidic condition. COD is another common measure of water-borne
organic substances the process of measuring COD causes the conversion
of allo rga n i c m a t t e r i n t o c a r b o n di o x i d e . Fo r t h i s r e a s o n , o n e
l i mi t a t i o n o f C O D i s t h a t i t c a n n o t d i ffe r e n t i a t e b e t w e e n
b i o l o g i c a l l y a c t i v e a n d t h o s e w h i c h bi o l o g i c a l l y i n a c t i v e . O n e
m a j o r advantage of COD over BOD is that COD can be measured in just
three hours where as BODm e a s u r e me n t t a k e s a t l e a s t f i v e d a y s . Th e
v a l u e o f C O D i s a l w a y s h i g h e r t h a n B O D , t h i s i s because BOD
accounts for only biodegradable organic compounds while COD accounts
for allorganic compounds e.g. biodegradable as well as no biodegradable but
chemically oxidisable.
Total suspended Solids (TSS):
TSS is mainly organic in nature, are visible and can be removedfrom the

wastewater by physical/ mechanical means e.g. screening and

sedimentation. TSS ism e a s u r e d b y f i l t e r i n g a c e r t a i n q u a n t i t y o f
e ffl u e n t a n d t h e n dr y i n g t h e f i l t r a t e a t c er t a i n t e m p e r a t u r e e . g . 1 0 5
0
C followed by weighing. TSS is expressed as parts per
m i l l i o n o r i n milligram/litre. The pore size of the filter paper is very
important in estimating the TSS, thenominal pore size 1.58 micro metre.
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS):
T D S a r e t h e s o l i d s t h a t ar e a c t u a l l y i n s o l u t i o n , s i m i l a r f o r e x a m p l e
t o m i x s u g a r i n t o h o t c o ffe e . D i s s o l v e d s o l i d s g e n e r a l l y p a s s
t h r o u g h t h e sy s t e mu n a ffe c t e d . TD S i s t h e s u m t o t a l o f a l l o f t h e
d i s s o l v e d t h i n g s i n a g i v e n b o dy o f w a t e r. I t i s everything in the water
that's not actually water. It includes hardness, alkalinity, cyanuric
acid,chlorides, bromides, sulfates, silicates, and all manner of organic compounds.
Every time we adda ny t h i n g t o t h e w a t e r, w e a r e i n c r e a s i n g i t s TD S .
T h i s i n c l u d e s n o t o n l y s a n i t i z i n g a n d p H adjusting chemicals, but also
conditioner, algaecides, and tile and surface cleaners. TDS also includes
airborne pollutants and bather waste as well as dissolved minerals in the fill water.
TDSi s r e f e r r e d t o a s t h e t o t a l a mo u n t o f m o b i l e c h a r ge d i o n s ,
i n c l u d i n g m i n e r a l s , s a l t s o r m e t a l s dissolved in a given volume of water,
and is expressed in units of mg per unit volume of water (mg/L), or as parts
per million (ppm).
Where do Dissolved Solids come from?

Aquatech Engineering Services LimitedSome dissolved solids come from

organic sources such as leaves, silt, plankton, and dyes andchemicals used
in processing, sewage. Other sources come from runoff from urban areas,
roadsalts used on street during the winter, and fertilizers and pesticides used on
lawns and farms.D i s s o l v e d s o l i d s a l s o c o m e f r o m i n o rga n i c m a t e r i a l s
such as rocks and air that may containcalcium bicarbonate,
n i t r o g e n , i r o n p h o s p h o r o u s , s u l f u r, a n d o t h e r m i n e r a l s . M a n y o f
t h e s e materials form salts, which are compounds that contain both a metal and a
nonmetal. Salts usuallydissolve in water forming ions. Ions are particles that have a
positive or negative charge.Wat e r m a y a l s o p i c k u p m e t a l s s u c h a s l e a d or
c o p p e r a s t h ey t r a v e l t hr o u g h p i p e s u s e d t o distribute water to
Object 1

Object 2

consumers.The effectiveness of water purification systems in removing total

dissolved solids will be reducedover time, so it is highly recommended to monitor the
quality of a filter or membrane and replacethem when required.TDS may be the most
misunderstood factor in the whole field of chemical processing and publichealth. In
most cases it is misunderstood because no one knows exactly what effect it is going
tohave on any particular body of water. TDS is directly related to the purity of water
and the qualityo f w a t e r p u r i f i c a t i o n sy s t e m s a n d a ffe c t s e v e r y t h i n g
t h a t c o n s u m e s , l i v e s i n , o r u s e s w a t e r, whether organic or inorganic,
whether for better or for worse.Different standards advise a maximum contamination
level (MCL) of 500mg/liter (500 parts per million (ppm)) for TDS, however for
domestic water suppliers maintain the TDS within 150 ppm.O ff c o u r s e s o me
w a t e r s u p p l i e s e x c e e d t h i s l e v e l . Wh e n TD S l e v e l s e x c e e d
1 0 0 0 m g / L i t i s generally considered unfit for human consumption. Most often,
high levels of TDS are caused bythe presence of potassium, chlorides and
sodium. These ions have little or no short-term effects, but toxic ions (lead
arsenic, cadmium, nitrate and others) may also be dissolved in the water.At low
levels, TDS does not present a problem. In fact, a certain amount of TDS is necessary
for water balance. Hardness and Total Alkalinity are both part of TDS. For
textile processing theacceptable value of TDS is around 65-150 mg/l. The
standards for bath and swimming pool are between 1,000 and 2,000 ppm, with a
maximum of 3,000 ppm. For irrigation the acceptable valuesof TDS are around 1500
ppm. Use of fertilizers increases TDS of the environment.When the water
evaporates, it leaves behind all of the solids that had been dissolved in it.
This principle is used widely to measure the TDS of a particular body of water.
When everything elseseems to be all right, and the water still acts unlawfully, check
the TDS.High TDS can result in corrosion of metal equipment and
accessories, even though the water is balanced.H i g h T D S c a n c a u s e e y e
and skin irritation, even though the pH is right and there are
n o c h l o r a mi n e s i n t h e w a t e r. H i g h TD S c a n p e r mi t a n a l g a e b l o o m,
e v e n w i t h 2- 3 p p m c h l o r i n e residual.If we drink water of high TDS some
of this will stay in the body, causing stiffness in the joints, h a r d e n i n g o f
the arteries, kidney stones, gall stones and blockages of arteries,
m i c r o s c o p i c capillaries and other passages in which liquids flow through our entire
body.

Aquatech Engineering Services Limited

1.
INTRODUCTION
Aquatech Engineering Services, Dhaka, have prepared this operating and
maintenance manual for the Effluent treatment plant installed
at., Chandora, Kaliakoir, Gazipur.Itrepresents the
methodology of process operation of the effluent treatment plant and maintenanceo f
t h e p l a n t e q u i p m e n t s . Th e m a n u a l w i l l b e h e l p f u l t o r u n t h e e ffl u e n t
p l a n t e ffe c t i v e l y a n d efficiently.Every effluent treatment plant is unique with
respect to its process flow sheet. This is because thetreatment scheme is adopted on
the basis of design and input characteristics of the effluent as wellas the stipulated
pollution level of the treatment. This in turn depends on the type of process, typeof
generated waste, whether the treated waste will be discharged or recycled,
the nature of water receiving body where the treated waste will be
discharged (if any) and the pollution laws of theconcerned pollution
authority. It must therefore be appreciated that effluent treatment plants
aretailor- made, and hence the mode of operation would be specific for the treatment
envisaged.The operating manual serves as an important guideline for the operating
personnel responsible for the start- up and maintenance of the equipment and
facilities provided in the plant. The instruction presents in this manual are based
on the experience in operation of such plants. However, due to v a r i a b l e
n a t u r e o f t h e e ffl u e n t s e n c o u n t e r e d i n e a c h p l a n t , c e r t a i n
m o d i f i c a t i o n o f pr o c e s s operation may be necessary depending on the
degree of variation in the raw effluent quality andquantity.This manual
includes a brief description of the basis of design of the ETP, the adopted
treatment philosophy and the principles of treatment involved. The plant was
designed to treat effluentsgenerated from the various sections of the knit
fabric dyeing and finishing plant. The scheme envisages treatment of two
separate wastewater streams namely the less contaminated water andmore
contaminated water. The less contaminated effluents are allowed to bypass
many stages before uniting together again with mainstream and finally discharged
to the environment. This has been done deliberately to reduce the treatment time and
operating cost.

Aquatech Engineering Services Limited

2. Basics of effluent treatment

Environmental problems of the textile industry are mainly caused by

discharges of wastewater.Textile processing employs a variety of
chemicals, depending on the nature of the raw materialand end product.
Some of these chemicals are different enzymes, detergents, dyes, acids,
sodasand salts. Industrial processes generate wastewater containing heavy
metal contaminants. Sincemost of the heavy metals are non-degradable into
non-toxic end products, their concentrationsmust be reduced to acceptable
levels before discharging them into the environment. Other wisethese could
pose threats to public health and/or affect the aesthetic quality of portable
water.A c c o r d i n g t o Wor l d H e a l t h O r ga n i z a t i o n ( W H O ) t h e m e t a l s o f
m o s t i m m e d i a t e c o n c e r n a r e chromium, zinc, iron, mercury and lead. Various
types of treatment processes are adopted to dyeor print or finish the textile
materials. Different types of textile process could generate differenttypes of
effluent. Table 1.1 shows the Characteristics of wastewater produced by a
typical knitdyeing industry.
Table 1.1:
Characteristics of Process Waste Streams of Knit dyeing and finishing.S L . N O
P r o c e s s i n g UnitPossible pollutantsin the waste waterWaste watervolumeN a t u r e
o f wasteWater
0 1
S c o u r i n g N a O H , , W a x e s ,
g r e a s e Na
2
Co
3
, Na
2
O
2
, SiO
2
And fragments of cloth.Small 10 L/ kgof clothStrongly alkaline,d a r k c o l o r ,
highB O D
( 3 0 %
o f
total)0 2
B l e a c h i n g N a O C l ,
C l
2
, NaOH, H
2
O
2
,Acids etc.MostlywashingAlkalineconstitutes, approx5 % of BOD0 3
D y e i n g V a r i o u s
d y e s ,
s a l t s , alkalies, Acids, Na
2
S,Na
2

S
2
O
2
and soapetc.L a r g e S t r o n g l y
c o l o r e d , f a i r l y B O D ( 6 % of the total)0 4
F i n i s h i n g D i f f e r e n t
f i n i s h i n g
a g e n t , V e r y
s m a l l
L o w
B O D
The above table shows the detail discharges at various stages of processing,
however theoverall discharges of a Knit Dye house are as follows;
Color (organic substance), Na
2
SO
4
(inorganic), NaOH, NaHOCl (Sodium hypochlorite), Na
2
SO
3
,Surfactant (LAS, BIAS, CIAS), (NH)
3
SO
4
,H
2
O
2
,CH
3
COOH (Organic), paraffin (organic),Cellulose, Oil (Organic), Soap (Organic); all
these things are COD and BOD.The fate of the above mentioned pollutant
chemicals vary, ranging from 100% retention on the f a b r i c t o 1 0 0%
d i s c h a rge w i t h t h e e ffl u e n t . G e n e r a l l y, a w e t pr o c e s s i n g i n d u s t r y
generates7

Aquatech Engineering Services Limitedwastewater possessing various level of

toxicity. Textile finishing industry uses large amounts of w a t e r, m a i n l y b e c a u s e
o f w a s h i n g o p er a t i o n s . I f t h e s e w a s t e w a t e r s a r e d i s c h a rge d i n t o
t h e environment they will cause serious and harmful impact not only on
under ground and surfacewater bodies and land in the surrounding area but

also will have an adverse effect on the aquaticecological system. Effluents

from textile mills also contain various types of metals, which has
acumulative effect, and higher possibilities for entering into the food chain and may
cause varioustypes serious diseases. Due to usage of dyes and chemicals,
effluents are dark in colour, whichincreases the turbidity of water body. This in
turn hampers the photosynthesis process, causing thedeath of many aquatic plants. If
aquatic dyes then more oxygen will be required to consume them by bacteria thus
causing a reduction of dissolve oxygen in the water. Various types of dyes
areused in dyeing of various types of textiles fibres. Fixation capability of different
dyes is different.The higher the fixation capacity the lower is the pollution problem.
Table 1.2 shows the quantityof unfixed dyes and pollutants of various colouration
processes while table 1.3 shows the degreeof fixation of various dyes.

Table 1.2: Type of pollution associated with various coloration processes.

F i b r e
D y e s
C l a s s
T y p e
o f
p o l l u t i o n C
o
t
t
o
n
D
i
r
e
c
t
D
y
e
s
1
.
S
a
l
t
s
2.Unfixed dye (5
3 0 % ) 3.Copper salts, Cationic-fixing
agents.C
o
t
t
o
n
R
e
a
c
t
i
v
e
D
y
e
s
1
.
S
a
l
t
s
2 . A l k a l i 3.Unfixe
d dye (10 40 %)C
o
t
t
o
n
V
a
t
s
D
y
e
s
1
.
A
l
k
a
l
i
2.Oxidizi
ng agents3.Reducing agents C o t t o n
S u l p h u r s
D y e s 1 . A l k a l i 2.Oxidizing
agent3. Re du c in g ag en t 4.Unfixed dye (20 40
%)P o l y e s t e r
D i s p e r s e
D y e s 1 . R e d u c i n g
a g e n t 2 . O r g a n i c a c i d 3.Unfixed dye (5 20 % 8