UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA Assignment 2: Due 1 September 2021

UNIVERSITEIT VAN PRETORIA

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Name: …………………………………………….

DEPARTEMENT CHEMIESE INGENIEURSWESE

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING CSS 420 Student No: ………………………………..…….

Assessor Full marks: 140

Prof EMN Chirwa

1. Indicate the type of causative agent for the following disease (Mark “X” in the right box).
(10 pts)

Virus Bacteria Protozoa Helminth

4.1 Cholera

4.2 Enteric dysentery

4.3 Amoebic dysentery

4.4 Poliomyelitis

4.5 Bilharzia

4.6 Ascarisis

4.7 Typhoid fever

4.8 Filariasis

4.9 Giardiasis

4.10 Meningitis
2. Indicate the correct organism associated with the water borne diseases indicated in the Table below.
Select the answers from the least provided below: ( 12 pts )

Escherichia coli, Schistosoma japonicum,

Salmonella typhimurium, Entamoeba histolytica,
Vibrio cholerae, Giardia lamblia, Gigantolina elongata (Cestoda), Shigella dysenteriae,
Ascaris Lumbricoides, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
Bacillus subtillis,
Klebsiella meningitis
Filarial worm (Wuchereria bancrofti),
Polio virus
Clostridium botulinum,
Cryptosporidium parvuum

Disease Causative agent

Bacterial meningitis

Giardiasis

Amoebic dysentery

Poliomyelitis

Bilharzia

Round worms

Typhoid fever

Elephantiasis

Cholera

Enteric dysentery

Tape worms

Plague (Shigellosis)
3. An acid mine water decant stream is neutralised by flow containing 50.5 kg/d ime (NaOH) and
another flow containing 16.5 kg/d KOH. Determine the amount of limestone CaCO3 (kg/d) that can
be used to replace the lime and KOH to neutralise the decant stream. ( 8 pts )

4. Perform the unit conversions and complete the table below. ( 10 pts )

Table 1: Unit conversions

Value Unit Value Unit

0.84 m3/s m3/d
330 g/m3 ppm
0.20 lb/ft3 mg/L
1.0 ppt g/L
1.0 ppb mg/L
74.0 ft/s m/h
0.0027 ppb ng/L
0.0003 ft/s kph
1000 Da nm
18.0 ft3/s m3/d
5. The following table shows results obtained from a chemical analysis of a decant from an
abandoned mine.

Ion (FW)* mg/l eq wt meq/l

Ca2+ 40 150
K+ 39.1 180
Cu2+ 65.55 88
Mg2+ 24.3 65
Na+ 23 12
Fe(OH)2+ 89.85 133
HCO3- 61 658
CO32- 60 68
HS- 33.07 133
SO42- 96 295
Cl- 35 17

(a) Complete the table. ( 12 pts )

(b) Determine whether the analysis is valid by conduct a complete ion balance. ( 5 pts )
6. A BOD5 test was conducted using seed wastewater with a strong BOD as seed in a standard BOD 5
test where the values of initial DO and the DO at day 5 were 8.2 and 2.6 mg/L, respectively. A
volume of 5.0 mL was used in the BOD test on the seed wastewater.

In the test on the target wastewater – a treated wastewater from the secondary clarifiers – the test
was seeded with 0.5 mL of the seed wastewater above. The test was conducted on 50 mL of sample.
The initial DO reading in the test on the actual sample was 7.8 mg/L and final DO reading was 3.8
mg/L. Assuming no significant oxygen demand by dilution water used to fill up the bottles,

(a) Determine BOD5 of the seed wastewater. ( 6 pts )

(b) Determine the BOD5 value of the effluent from the secondary clarifiers (sample). Refer to
attached information at end of this paper. ( 12 pts )

(c) If degradation rate coefficient kd_C is equal to 0.27 d-1 (base e), determine the approximate
CBODu (Lo_C) of the secondary clarifier effluent. Assuming no significant oxygen demand by
dilution water used to fill up the bottles. ( 4 pts )
7. A faecal coliform test is conducted in a heterotrophic plate after serial dilution in six test-tubes and
transferring the last 1 mL from the last test-tube to an mFC agar plate (see Figure below). Eleven
colonies are observed on the plate after incubating for 48 hours. Determine the number of colony
forming units (CFUs)/100 mL in the original sample. [Please note: there is a hidden trick in this
question]. ( 8 pts )

1 mL
1 mL
1 mL
1 mL
1 mL
1 mL

1 mL

9 mL
9 mL 
Peptone    
Buffer Peptone 9 mL 


Buffer Peptone 
9 mL 
Buffer Peptone 9 mL Number in source
Buffer Peptone 9 mL = ? per mL
Buffer Peptone
Buffer = ? per 100 mL
9. Explain concisely the following processes as they apply in the treatment of water for drinking water
supply:

(a) Coagulation ( 8 pts )

(b) Filtration efficiency ( 8 pts )

(c) Breakpoint chlorination ( 8 pts )

10. (a) Provide a typical layout of the Water Works for provision of potable water to city from surface
water such as a river or dam. ( 10 pts )

(b) State what could be done to improve the performance of the conventional plant to deal with
emerging pollutants such as pharmaceutical compounds and industrial waste products. ( 10 pts )

(c) Provide a typical layout Wastewater Treatment Works for treatment of sewage from a city or
municipality. ( 10 pts )

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