Physico-chemical Processes in Environmental Systems

Engr. GHULAM HUSSAIN

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, IEER UET LAHORE
Chemical Removal/Treatment
Often necessary to remove certain chemicals from water and wastewater;
Water: Iron and Manganese, Arsenic, Hardness, Nitrate, Organic Chemicals
Wastewater (Industrial): Virtually any chemical, but especially metals, organic chemicals
Hardness:
A water is considered hard if soap does not form a foam or lather or/and the water leaves scale
in hot water pipes, boilers etc.
Hardness arises from divalent metal ions in water.
Total Hardness, Carbonate Hardness, Non-Carbonate Hardness
Lime-Soda Ash Softening
Carbonate Hardness is removed by adding lime Ca(OH)2 , in water treatment.
For waters low in Mg and with carbonate Ca hardness, this would be sufficient treatment - called
single-stage lime treatment/softening.
Recarbonation:
is needed because addition of Ca(OH)2 raises pH of water to 10.2 to 10.5.
consists of bubbling CO2 through treated water, lowering pH to 8.7 to 9.
is also done to stabilize the water.

Langlier stability index

Process Flow Diagram of Softening Treatment

Single-Stage Lime Treatment

Lime-Soda Ash Softening
For waters with non-carbonate hardness, single-stage softening is insufficient.

Left over hardness is removed by addition of soda ash (Na2CO3).

In practice, residual hardness = 50 to 80 mg/L.

This water has has pH and needs to be recarbonated.

Treatment accomplished in two-stage softening

Process Flow Diagram of Softening Treatment

Two-stage Excess Lime-Soda Treatment

Split-flow Lime Treatment
Adsorption
Mass transfer of chemicals in liquid phase onto solid phase.
Difference between adsorption, absorption and sorption.
Adsorbent: adsorbing phase
Adsorbate: chemical being adsorbed
Adsorption is used in drinking water treatment to remove;
Organic contaminants; taste and odor causing chemicals, color forming organics, synthetic organic
chemicals