Pollution

Pollution
• Pollution is defined as the undesirable
change in the physical, chemical or biological
characteristics of our air, water & land that
may or will harmfully, affect human life, the
lives of the desirable species, our industrial
processes, living conditions & cultural assets,
or that may or will waste or deteriorate our
raw material resources
• Natural and man-made pollution
 Pollutants
• Pollutants are the materials or factors, which
cause adverse effect on the natural quality of
any component of the environment
• They are the waste products or by-products of
the materials we make use or throw away
 Types of Pollution
• Air pollution
• Water pollution
• Soil pollution
• Noise pollution
• Radioactive pollution etc
 Acts & Rules
• The Water (Prevention And Control Of Pollution) Act
1974
• The Water (Prevention And Control Of Pollution) Cess
Act, 1977
• The Air (Prevention And Control Of Pollution) Act 1981
• The Environment (Protection) Act 1986
• Hazardous Waste (Management And Handling) Rules,
1989
• Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991
• The National Environment Tribunal Act, 1995
• Bio-medical Waste ( Management And Handling)
Rules, 1998
• Recycled Plastic Manufacture And Usage Rules, 1999
• Coastal Zone Regulation Notification etc
Do you leave the tap on when you clean your teeth?
You waste 5 litres of water.You only need ¼ litre!
An average bath
uses 80 litres of
water.
An average shower
only uses 35 litres.
 80% of water use = industrial sector

• The production of 1 tonne

of steel requires 231, 620
litres of water
• The production of 1 new car +
4 tires require 144, 633
litres of water
• 2 - 4.5 barrels of water are
required to extract 1 barrel of
oil, and 90 % of that water is
permanently removed from
the hydrological cycle.
66% of the human body is
made up of water.

At just 2% dehydration your

performance decreases by
around 20%.

We should drink at least 1½

litres of water a day.
 Water Pollution
It is defined as the addition of some substance
or factor, which degrade the quality of water
so that it either becomes health hazard or
unfit for use
 Sources of water pollution
• According to the way in which the pollutants
are introduced in water
• Flow of pollutants through regular channels –
point sources
• Passage of scattered pollutants- diffuse or
non-point
 Point and Nonpoint Sources
NONPOINT SOURCES

Rural homes

Urban streets Cropland

Animal feedlot

Suburban POINT
developme SOURCES
nt Factory
Wastewater
treatment
plant
Basic factors causing water body
pollution
 Water Quality
Water quality is defined by analyzing in terms of
its:
• Chemical Content: Hardness , Metals,
nutrients, chloride, sodium, organic
compounds etc
• Physical Content: pH, Turbidity, colour, odour
etc.
• Biological Content: Faecal coliform, total
coliform etc
Water Treatment Schematic
 Screening
• Important preliminary stage
• Removes the bulk non biodegradable
matter, such as plastics, woven
materials, pieces of wood and metallic
items from the sewage stream
• The materials may increase BOD of the
water and possibly damage
downstream equipment
 Types of screens
• Bar screens
• Drum screens
• Disc screens
• Micro screens
• Wedge wire screen
• Vibrating screen
(Circular, elliptical or Vertical)
 Types of screen (size of opening)
• Fine
• Coarse
• Medium

Usually coarse screen is placed in front of the

fine screen
 SEDIMENTATION
• Sedimentation is a physical water treatment
process used to settle out suspended solids in
water under the influence of gravity
• Sedimentation Tanks can be of different
shapes, often rectangular or circular
• There may be primary and secondary settling
tanks
• Flocculants/Coagulants may be added before
settling.
 Sedimentation/Settling
• Water with suspended impurities with or
without added coagulants is made to flow into
settling basins
• Water is nearly quiescent – low flow with little
turbulence
• Water resides for at least 3 hours and the flocs
settle out and collect at the bottom.
 Four types of Sedimentation

• Dilute, non-flocculent, free-settling (Every

particle settles independently)
• Dilute, flocculent (Particles can flocculate as
they settle)
• Concentrated Suspensions, Zone Settling or
Hindered (Sludge Thickening)
• Concentrated Suspensions, Compression
(Sludge Thickening)
 TYPES OF SEDIMENTATION
• In discrete settling individual
particles settle independently
• It occurs when there is
a relatively low solid
concentration
• In flocculant settling,
individual particles stick
together into clumps called
flocs
• This occur when there is a
greater solids concentration &
chemical or biological reactions
alter the particle surfaces to
enhance attachment
• In hindered settling the • Compression settling
particle concentration is occurs when particle
great enough to inhibit settle by compressing the
water movement mass below
• Water must move in
spaces between particles
Settling in Treatment Train
 Types of sedimentation
• Fill and draw type
• Continuous flow type
Rectangular
a)Horizontal
Circular
b)Vertical
 Fill and Draw type
• Fill the water and after the detention period
draw the water from the tank
 Circular
• In circular sedimentation tanks the clarifier
mechanism has sludge scrapers attached
to a rotating arm scraping the sludge
towards a central hopper.
• Peripheral drive type, fixed bridge or fixed
half bridge (cage drive)
• Low maintenance, faster sludge removal &
higher removal efficiencies
 Rectangular settling tanks
• In rectangular clarifiers scrapers are carried along
the tank bottom collecting the sludge into a trough
or hopper at the influent end of the tank.
• In rectangular clarification tanks the mechanism
may be of the chain and flight type or have
scrapers and scum removal equipment suspended
from a traveling bridge.
• Rectangular tanks are predominantly used in very
large treatment plants or in confined spaces,
making maximum use of the area available.
 Coagulation
• Goal: To alter the surface charge of the
particles that contribute to color and turbidity
so that the particles adhere to one another
and are capable of settling by gravity
 Measurements of turbidity
• The most widely used measurement unit for turbidity is
the FTU (Formazin Turbidity Unit). ISO refers to its units as
FNU (Formazin Nephelometric Units).
• Jackson Candle Method: (Jackson Turbidity Unit or JTU) is
essentially the inverse measure of the length of a column
of water needed to completely obscure a candle flame
viewed through it. The more water needed (the longer the
water column), the clearer the water.
• Nephlometer: Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU). It has
a detector setup to the side of the light beam to detect
scattered light. More light reaching the detector means
more scattering and more turbidity
• Turbidity in lakes, reservoirs, and the ocean can be
measured using a black and white disk (Secchi disk) that is
lowered into the water until it can no longer be seen. The
depth recorded is inversely related to turbidity.
 Colloids
• Small particles (0.001 to 1 m)
• Usually negatively charged
• Particles repel so suspension is considered
stable
 Coagulation and Flocculation
• Coagulation (process) +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ + ++
++ + ++
+ +
+ +
+ + +
+ ++ +
+ ++
+
+
Colloidal particles + +
(0.001 - 1 m)

floc
(1 - 100 m)
 Coagulant
• Non-toxic and relatively inexpensive
• Insoluble in neutral pH range - do not want
high concentrations of metals left in treated
water
.
• Alum: Al2(SO4)3 14H2O
• Ferric chloride: FeCl3
• Ferric sulfate: FeSO4
• Polyelectrolytes etc.,
 Factors Influencing Coagulation
• Water pH: coagulants work better under alkaline pH
• Temperature: High T Low viscosity better settling
• Type and concentration of suspended matter: better
removal when more concentrated
• Type of Coagulant: Fe flocs are heavier than Alum flocs.
Heaver flocs are removed faster.
• Coagulant Dose: need optimum dose
• Mixing time and method: violent agitation is better
 Aeration
• A fluid-holding tank with provisions to aerate its
contents by bubbling air or another gas through the
liquid or by spraying the liquid into the air.

• By using cascade
• By using trickling beds
• By air diffusion
• By using spray nozzles
 Filtration
• The final step in removing particles is
filtration.
• Removal of those particles that are too small
to be effectively removed during
sedimentation
• Multiple removal mechanisms depending on
design
• Sedimentation effluent: 1 - 10 TU
• Desired effluent level: <0.3 TU
 Slow Sand Filtration

• Single media: sand

• Dual media: anthracite coal and sand
• Multimedia: anthracite coal, sand and garnet

Source: Back to Basics Guide to Surface Water Treatment, American Water Works Association, 1P-2.5M-73026-11/92-MG
 Sedimentation Effects of Filtration
• Filters can remove particles smaller than their
pores
• This may be due to void spaces acting as tiny
sedimentation tanks promoting settling
• The settling is also assisted by entrapment in
the gelatinous biofilm…
 Biological Effects
• The slimy layer or biofilm (Schmutzdecke) on the
surface of the filter is composed of
microorganisms (algae, bacteria, etc), their
secretions and trapped debris
• The film further enhances efficiency of trapping
debris
• Utilize organic impurities in water for metabolism
and convert to harmless products
• Slimy layer with the top 1 inch of sand has to
skimmed off periodically to prevent clogging.
 Electrolytic Effects
• Sand grains and impurity particles have
opposite charges.
• The charges get neutralized and imputity
particles aggregate and get trapped.
 Slow Sand Filters: Pros and Cons

Pros:
• Cheap and good for small plants, in warmer
areas where covers on filters are not needed
• Can remove solids efficiently and upto 99% of
coliform organisms if maintained properly
Cons:
• Slow rate
• Large area required
Rapid Sand Filter
 Rapid Sand Filtration
• Larger particle sizes. Often graded.
• Faster throughput
• As particles are removed - filter becomes clogged -
headloss increases, turbidity increases
• Must backwash (takes 10-15 min) done about once per
day
• Backwash may be fluidizing or non-fluidizing
• Backwash removed through water troughs
• Must design to handle flow with one filter out of service
Filtration
Rapid Sand Filter
 Rapid Sand Filtration
• Backwashing is
accomplished by forcing
water (and sometimes air)
up from the clearwell back
through the filter.
• The particles in the filter
become suspended,
releasing the trapped
particles.
• Backwash water retreated
or disposed of.
 Pressure Filter
• No prior sedimentation of coagulated water
• Airtight; pressure applied (300-700 KN/m2)
across filter medium, by pumps.
• Cleaning by backwash (or compressed air)
• Requires more frequent cleaning
• Compact and suitable for industries
 Disinfection
• Following filtration,
water is disinfected
• Chlorine gas is most
commonly used
• 2 design goals
– kill majority of organisms
in water
– provide residual
disinfection capability to
prevent growth of
organisms in distribution
system
 Breakpoint Chlorination
• As chlorine is added, it is
consumed by chemical
reaction with the net effect
of a rise in chlorine
concentration.
• The slope will depend on
addition rate and reaction
rate.

• For the usual rates of addition, the reaction rate will suddenly speed up so that
the concentration of chlorine falls.
•When most of the reactions with chlorine are complete (30 minutes), the
addition of more chlorine results in a permanent residual.
•The point at which the Cl concentration returns to an upward slope is termed the
breakpoint.
 Residual Chlorine
• There may be no breakpoint observed for
certain waters because different organic
compounds react at various rates.
• 0.2-0.3 mg/L residual chlorine is normally
maintained to provide protection from
possible recontamination during supply.
 Pre, Post and Double Chlorination
• Chlorination before another process such as
filtration, sedimentation
• Residual chlorine of 0.1-0.5mg/L is maintained
• Does of 5-10mg/L may be required.
• Post chlorination means to chlorinate again before
distribution. 0.1-0.2 mg/L; 20 min contact time
• Both used together is double chlorination.
Superchlorination-Dechlorination

• Uncertain water quality, presence of

resistant microorganisms require addition
of chlorine in excess amounts for a given
contact time.
• Excess residual chlorine may be removed by
dechlorination using sulphur dioxide after
the specified contact time.
 Other Disinfectants
• Hypochlorite salts: NaOCl and Ca(OCl)2
– more expensive to purchase
– easier to handle
– more common for small supplies
• Chloramines (NH2Cl, NHCl2, NCl3)
– longer contact time if primary disinfectant
– used in combination with other disinfectants
• Chlorine dioxide (ClO2)
– very effective
– must be produced on site
 Other Disinfectants
• Ozone (O3)
– very powerful oxidant – kills cysts
– no taste and odor problems
– widely used in Europe
– no residual
– more expensive than chlorine (produced on-site)
• Ultraviolet radiation
– effective bactericide and viricide
– water must be free of turbidity and lamps free of slime
and precipitates
– no residual protection
 Disinfection By-products
• Trihalomethanes: CHCl3, CHCl2Br, CHClBr2 and
CHBr3
– sound epidemiological evidence linking THMs to
gastrointestinal tract cancers
– current regulations require water supplies to limit
total THM levels, new rules reduce them
• Haloacetic acids
– new rules require limits for 5 compounds
• Bromate and Chlorite
– new rules
 Water Softening
• Temporary (carbonate hardness)
– Ca or Mg carbonates and bicarbonates
– Removed by boiling, adding lime
• Permanent Hardness (non carbonate hardness)
– Ca and Mg sulphates, chlorides, and nitrates
– Lime Soda Process
– Zeolite process
– Demineralization process
Additional Processes -- pH Adustment
• Recarbonation for softened
water
CO2 + H2O H2CO3
– Purpose is to reduce pH
following softening (pH > 11
required for Mg removal)
• Sodium hydroxide addition
for surface water
– coagulant chemicals reduce
pH
– increase pH to reduce
corrosivity
 Additional Processes
• Fluoride addition
– Added either as NaF, Na2SiF6,
H2SiF6
– React in water to yield fluoride
ion (F-)
• Well documented that
fluoride levels of ~ 1 ppm
reduce incidence of dental
caries (cavities)
• Some controversy remains
 Additional Processes

• Polyphosphate addition
– Added for corrosion control as it forms a protective
film on pipes
– Also helps to control lead levels in tap water as it
complexes with lead
 Advanced Treatment Processes
• Advanced Oxidation Processes
– improved disinfection
– oxidize synthetic organic chemicals
– taste and odor control
• Activated carbon adsorption
– remove recalcitrant synthetic organic chemicals,
THMs, taste and odor compounds
– concern with bacterial growth problems
• Membrane process
– discriminate on both size and chemistry
– selective removal including desalinzation
 Residuals Management
Sludge from
clarifiers

Finished
water
 Residuals Management – Dewatering

• Lagoons
• Sand-drying beds
• Freeze treatment
• Centrifugation
• Vacuum filtration
• Continuous belt filter press
• Plate Pressure filters
Residuals Management – Ultimate Disposal

• On-site storage
• Landfilling
• Land application – soil amendment
• Reclamation/recycling – new products
80% of all illness in developing countries is caused
by water related diseases.

90% of wastewater in developing countries is

discharged directly into rivers and streams without
treatment.
 Effects of water pollution
• Effects on aquatic ecosystem
• Biological magnification
• Eutrophication
• Effects on human health
• Hazards of ground water pollution
 EUTROPHICATION
• Eutrophication is a process whereby water bodies
such as lakes estuaries and slow-moving streams
receive excess nutrients that stimulate excessive
plant growth (algae, periphyton attached algae and
nuisance plant weeds) & is likely to cause several
reductions in water quality
• In aquatic systems species such as algae experience a
population increase (called an algal bloom)
• Algal blooms limits the sunlight available to the
bottom dwelling organisms and cause wide swings
in the amount of dissolved oxygen in water
• Under eutrophic conditions DO greatly
increases during day time, but is greatly
reduced after the dark by the respiring algae
and by the microorganisms that feed on the
increasing mass of dead algae
• In extreme cases anaerobic conditions ensue
promoting growth of Clostridium botulinum
bacteria ,that produces toxins deadly to birds
and mammals
• Phosphorous is often regarded as the main
culprit in cases of eutrophication in lakes
 SOURCES OF HIGH NUTRIENT RUN OFF
• Waste water effluent (municipal and industrial)
• Run-off & leachate from waste disposal systems
• Run-off & infiltration from animal feedlots
• Run off from mines, oil feeds & unsewered
industrial sites
• Run-off from agriculture/irrigation
• Septic tank leachate
• Overflows of combined storms & sanitary sewers
Algal bloom in a lake
Overgrowth of floating Aquatic plants

Fish mortality due to loss of Oxygen in Indonesian lake

 ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS
• Increased biomass of phytoplankton
• Toxic or inedible phytoplankton species
• Increase in blooms of gelatinous zooplankton
• Decreases in water transparency
• Taste, odor and water treatment problems
• DO depletion
• Increase incidences of fish kills
• Loss of desirable fish species
• Reductions in harvestable fish & shellfish
• Decreases resource values of rivers, lakes and
estuaries such that recreation, fishing, hunting
and aesthetic enjoyment are hindered
Domestic Effluent
Treatment
 Definitions
• Sullage: Wastewater from bathrooms, kitchen, washing,
etc minimal organic matter, not odorous
• Sewage:
– Sanitary sewage: Liquid waste from community including
sullage, latrine discharge, industrial waste etc
• Domestic sewage
• Industrial Sewage
– Ground and surface water entering the sewers.
• Stormwater: rainwater admitted into sewers
• Subsoil water: groundwater seeping into sewers
• Nightsoil: human and animal excreta
• Sewer: Underground conduit or drain through which the
sewage is carried to discharge or disposal
 Methods of Domestic Sanitation
• Conservancy System: human excreta carried by
human agency. Sullage flows in open drains or
percolates. Garbage collected in bins and
transported by lorries
• Water carriage system: Water is added to human
excreta and carried by sewers
– Separate: foul sewage and stormwater
– Combined:
– Partially combined
 Sewage Physical Characteristics
• pH
• Color:
– Black indicates O2 depleted
• Odor
• Temperature
• Solids: Total, suspended and settleable
 Dissolved Oxygen
• At least 4 ppm DO before discharge
• Organic Matter
– Biologically active
• Carbonaceous: first state 20 days
• Nitrogenous: second stage (NH3 oxidation)
– Biologically Inactive
 BOD
• Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is the amount
of dissolved oxygen consumed by a sample in a
standard period (3, 5, 10 days) at standard
temperature.
– 5 day BOD at 20°C
• The total BOD = carbonaceous oxygen demand +
nitrogenous oxygen demand.
• Traditionally, because of the slow growth rates of
those organisms that exert the nitrogenous
demand, it has been assumed that no nitrogenous
demand is exerted during the 5-day BOD5 test.
Stages of BOD Satisfaction

BOD ppm (Yt)

II: nitrogeneous

I: Carbonaceous

Time in days (t)

 Chemical Oxygen Demand
• Amount of oxygen required to oxidize all the
organic matter (biologically active and
inactive) in a wastewater sample using a
strong oxidizing agent like potassium
dichromate or potassium permanganate
• Measured within 3 hrs
• COD>BOD
• Limiting COD is 250mg/L
 ThOD
• Theoretical Oxygen Demand
• If all the constituents of the wastewater and
their concentrations are known , a theoretical
oxygen demand can be calculated.
 Decomposition of Sewage
Aerobic Anaerobic
O2 present; fast (hours) No O2; slow (days or weeks)
Aerobic and facultative bacteria Anerobic bacteria
Complete decomposition. Incomplete decomposition.
End Products inoffensive, stable: End Products unstable, offensive and
CO2 + H2O. require further treatment: CO2, CH4,
H2S, NH3 etc.
Measured from DO utilization Measured from gas yield
May require aeration No aeration
Bulk of energy from waste ends up Significant fraction of energy remains in
in bacterial biomass and heat end products and can be utilized.
Less sensitive Highly sensitive
Trickling filter, activated sludge Septic tank, anerobic lagoon, fermenter,
digester, oxidation pond etc. biogas plant
 Treatment of sewage
• Primary treatment
• Secondary treatment
• Teritary treatment
 Sewage Treatment Schematic With
Activated Sludge Secondary Treatment
Package plant for Aeration and
Sedimentation
 Oxidation Ponds
• Air-mixing due to wind
• Sunlight penetration
• Algal growth provides photosynthetic O2
• Promotes growth of aerobic bacteria
• Bacteria oxidize the organic matter in the
sewage
 Facultative ponds
• 3-5 m deep; 3 strata:
– Lower layer—Benthal deposits and lower layers
of water. anaerobic bacteria decompose
wastes & release decomposition products CO2,
NH3, CH4, and other nutrients.
– Middle layer—photosynthetic algae, use
nutrients to grow and release O2, which
facilitates growth of aerobic bacteria
– Upper layer aerobic bacteria oxidize organic
wastes using O2 from air and algae.
Residuals Management
Sludge from
clarifiers
INDUSTRIAL
POLLUTION
CONTROL
 Industrial Waste Water

Domestic Process Cooling

Waste Water Waste Water Waste Water
 Wastewater Characteristics
• Organics
• Inorganics
• pH and Alkalinity
• Temperature
• Dissolved Oxygen
 Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Raw Treated water

Sewage Primary Aerobic Secondary
treatment Treatment treatment
sludge sludge

Sludge Sludge
processing disposal
 Pretreatment
• Equalization – level out hydraulic loads on
treatment units and concentration variations

• Neutralisation – for acidic or basic waste water.

Mix acidic and basic wastes. Sodium hydroxide &
lime for acidic wastes. Sulphuric acid, hydrochloric
acid & CO2 for basic wastes.
 Pretreatment
• Grease and oil removal- Done near the point
of their mixing with water. Gravity and simple
skimming, adding chemicals to break
emulsions, grease traps.
• Toxic substances – Reduce heavy metals
below toxic levels and prevent discharge of
toxic complex organics.
 Primary Treatment
• Screens - remove moderate size particles
• Grit chambers – rapid separation of inert
particles like sand or hard inert particles.
 Primary Treatment
• Gravity Sedimentation
– removes slowly settling particles.
- designed on the basis of retention time,
surface overflow rate, and minimum depth
- removal efficiency affected by hydraulic
flow pattern though the tank.
Sedimentation tank
 Primary Treatment
• Chemical precipitation - agglomerates tiny
particles into large particles that settle
rapidly in normal sedimentation tanks.
Coagulants – aluminium sulphate, ferric
chloride, ferrous sulphate, lime and
polyelectrolytes.
Choice of coagulant depend on
- particles being removed
- pH of waste waters
- cost & availability of precipitants
 Secondary Treatment
• Removes colloidal and soluble organics
through microbial metabolism
• Biological treatment systems uses bacteria
that convert biodegradable organics in
solution into suspended organics which
flocculate and are removed by gravity
sedimentation
• Colloidal solids tend to be absorbed onto
microbial flocs
 Secondary Treatment
Biological Waste Water Treatment

Aerobic Anaerobic
Excess DO Without DO
Organics
Organics

CO2, water Acids, ketones,

aldehydes, alcohol

Methane, CO2
 Secondary Treatment
• Lagoons
- Facultative Lagoons
use both aerobic & anaerobic reaction
- Aerated Lagoons
additional oxygen supplied by mechanical
surface aerators and diffused aerators
- Anaerobic Lagoons
first stage in treatment of strong organic
wastes
Cross section of a facultative Lagoon
Aerated Lagoon Anaerobic Lagoon
Secondary Treatment
Secondary Treatment
Secondary Treatment
Activated Sludge Process
 Physical Chemical Treatment

• For wastewaters that are either toxic to or

difficult to treat with biological treatment
• First Step – use of chemical precipitants to
remove suspended solids by flocculation
and gravity sedimentation
• Second Steps – Activated carbon bed, ion-
exchange columns, sand media or
multimedia filters, reverse osmosis
 Sludge Processing
• Unstabilised organics – biological or
heat treatment for stabilization

• Inert organics and inorganics –

concentrated, dewatered and returned
to the environment
 Sludge Processing
Chemical conditioning
Uses lime, alum and various ferric salts
Increases mass of sludge
Removes fine particle

Thermal conditioning
Dewaters sludge
Temperatue at 180 to 230°C for 15 to 60
minutes a pressure of 13 to 20 atm.
 Sludge Processing

Filter Press

Rotary Vacuum Filter

Sand Beds
 Sludge Disposal

Incineration

Land Spreading
 Management of Industrial Solid Wastes
Waste Generation

Storage

Collection

Transfer/transport Processing/Recovery

Disposal
Land Filling
 T
h
a
n
k
Y
o
u
CONSERVE WATER