Environmental Engineering Laboratory

Experiment no. 5

Determination of Oxygen Transfer

Capacity of Laboratory Aeration
system
Background
 Oxygen is an essential nutrient for aerobic biological systems. In
rivers and lakes, as oxygen is used by the aquatic flora and
fauna, it is transferred from the air.
 In clean waters the rate of consumption is small and the transfer
rate of oxygen across the surface of water in contact with air is
comparatively large. This enables DO to be maintained near
saturation level.
 In aerobic engineered biological wastewater treatment systems,
where a large population of micro-organisms is maintained,
which feed upon waste organic matter, the demand for oxygen
is high. Therefore it is necessary to install an aeration system
capable of meeting the oxygen requirement.
 Also aeration is an important treatment unit in water treatment as
it is used for the removal of Iron and Manganese.
Background……
 In calm and slowly moving waters the liquid surface in contact with air soon
becomes saturated with oxygen.
 Further dissolution of oxygen takes place only through molecular diffusion from
the saturated surface layer to the bulk liquid, which is slow.
 Stirring and mixing the saturated surface layer with the bulk liquid can increase
oxygen transfer rate.
 In wastewater treatment two types of aeration systems are commonly used,
namely, compressed air or bubble aeration and mechanical or surface
aeration.
 In bubble aeration systems compressed air is introduced in the liquid in the
form of small bubbles, while in surface aeration systems the liquid is agitated
and splashed.
 In both cases new interfaces between air and liquid are created for transfer of
oxygen and the surface area of the liquid in contact with air is increased.
There is also good stirring of the bulk liquid.
Equations
 The rate of transfer of oxygen in water can be written as:
𝑑𝐶𝑡
 = 𝐿𝑎 𝑠 𝑡
𝑑𝑡
 where,
 𝑠 𝑡 = saturation and actual DO concentration, mg/L
 t= time, h
 𝐿𝑎 = overall transfer rate coefficient, h-1.
 Integrating above equation we get
 𝑠 𝑡 𝐿𝑎 𝑠 𝑜
 Where 𝑜 = the initial DO concentration at t = 0, mg/L.
 The value of 𝐾𝐿𝑎 is characteristic of a particular aeration system and is influenced
by its physical properties, such as, tank geometry, design and submergence of
mixing blades, speed of rotation in mechanical aeration and bubble size, rate of
air flow, etc., in compressed air aeration.
 Experimental determination of the 𝐾𝐿𝑎 value is necessary to optimize the design
of the aeration system with respect to oxygen transfer capacity and power
consumption.
 The 𝐾𝐿𝑎 value changes with temperature as:
 𝐾𝐿𝑎 (T) = 𝐾𝐿𝑎 (20) 1.024 𝑇−20
 The characteristics of the waste and the type of aeration system
also influence the 𝐿𝑎 value. Its effect must be evaluated
experimentally:
 =

 Generally the value of  for domestic wastewater ranges from

0.75 to 0.95
 The standard oxygen transfer capacity of an aeration system is
defined as the mass of oxygen transferred in tap water per unit
time at 20 oC, when the dissolved oxygen in the system is zero.
 This can be calculated on the basis of basic Equation and the
liquid volume in the system.
Aim: To determine the 𝐾 value of a laboratory aeration system and
determine its oxygen transfer capacity.

Procedure:
 Find the volume of water in the aeration tank and determine its DO
concentration. Calculate the quantity of sodium sulphite required to
deoxygenate the water.
 Deoxygenate the water by adding the required amount of sodium sulphite and
cobalt chloride catalyst. The concentration of the catalyst should be at least 5
mg/L.
 Start the aeration system and note the water temperature.
 Collect water samples at different times. While taking samples take care not to
aerate the sample during collection. Calculate D.O. of the water samples.
Determination of Dissolved Oxygen (D.O.)
 The sample is taken in BOD bottles, 300 mL , narrow mouth, flared lip, with tapered and
pointed ground glass stoppers.
 Reagents
 Manganous sulphate solution. Dissolve 480 g MnSO4 .4H2O, 400 g MnSO4.2H2O or 364 g
MnSO4.H2O in distilled water, filter and dilute to IL.
 Alkali-iodide-azide reagent. Dissolve 500 g NaOH (or 700 g KOH) and 135 g NaI (or 150 g
KI) in distilled water and dilute to IL. Add 10 g NaN3 dissolved in 40 mL distilled water.
 Sulphuric acid, conc
 Starch indicator. Dissolve 2 g laboratory grade soluble starch and 0.2 g salicylic acid as a
preservative, in 100 mL hot distilled water.
 Standard sodium thiosulphate titrant, 0.025M (0.025N). Dissolve 6.205 g Na2S2O3.5H2O in
distilled water. Add 1.5 mL 6NNaOH or 0.4 g solid NaOH and dilute to 1000 mL .
Standardise with bi-iodate solution.
 Procedure of D.O. determination

 Drain any liquid in the flared lip of the BOD bottle containing the sample.
 Remove stopper and add 2 mL of MnSO4 followed by 2 mL alkali-iodide-azide
reagent. Hold the pipette tip just below the liquid surface touching the side of
the bottle. Wash the pipette before returning to the reagent bottles.
 Stopper carefully to exclude air bubbles. Mix by inverting the bottle a few times.
 Allow the brown manganese hydroxide floc (white floc indicates absence of
DO) to settle approximately to half the bottle volume, add 1.0 mL conc H2SO4
and re-stopper. Mix by inverting several times until dissolution is complete.
 Titrate 203 mL with standard Na2S2O3 using starch as indicator. Titrate till colour
disappears.
 Note down the mL of titrant used which is same as mg/L of D.O.
Chemistry of DO measurement

 When MnSO4 reagent is added the DO in the sample oxidises Mn2+ and a
brown MnO2 precipitate is formed. The reaction is facilitated by the
presence of excess OH- ions, which are added with the alkaline iodide
reagent.
 In the next step, when H2SO4 is added, MnO2 reacts with I- to release an
equivalent amount of I2.
 The I2 is titrated with Na2S2O3 (sodium thiosulphate), which is oxidized to
Na2S4O6 (sodium thionate).
 In the absence of oxygen Mn(OH)2 is formed which is white coloured
 Plotting of Experimental Data
 Take the temperature of water
and note down the
corresponding value of Cs from
the table
ln(Cs – Co)
 Plot a graph of ln (Cs - Ct) v/s
time.
 The slope of the line gives the kLa
value of kLa and the intercept

ln (Cs – Ct)
gives the value of ln (Cs - Co)

t
 Observations
 Volume of water in bucket = 10 L, Temperature of water = 200C
 Cs at 200C and zero salinity = 9.17 mg/L
S.No. Time mL of sodium D.O. (mg/L)
(minutes) thiosulphate used
1 0 0 0
2 5 1.1 1.1
3 10 2.4 2.4
4 15 3.2 3.2
5 20 3.6 3.6
6 25 3.9 3.9
7 30 4.1 4.1
8 35 4.4 4.4
9 40 4.6 4.6
10 45 4.8 4.8
11 50 5.1 5.1
12 55 5.2 5.2
Discussion and analysis

 Calculate the KLa value from a suitable plot of the data.

 What is the oxygen transfer capacity of the system in g/d.
 List the physical parameters of the aeration system used in the experiment,
which will change the KLa value.
 What reaction is involved in the initial deoxygenation of water? Write a
balanced chemical equation.