Chapter 5

Water quality
 Different uses :
Agriculture: Industrial: Daily uses :

Washing
Drinking
Cook
Restrooms….

For the ecosystem :

Hobbies :

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 Different uses of water require different levels of purity:

Daily use

hobbies

Agriculture

Industrial

We must ensure that hydrological systems like rivers, lakes and sea are healthy and
clean for the ecosystem
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 Water pollutants :
-Waste water : Pathogens  disease (diarrhea, cholera), death
Nutrients (P,N) Eutrophication (excessive feeding)

- Pesticides and herbicides : toxic organic

- Industrial waste : Toxic metals (arsenic, cadmium, mercury…), solid particles

-Wathering (suspended solid particles)

- Lack of oxygen: Asphyxiation of fish

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 Problems Solutions Results

-Water quality - Drinking water:

Current properties assessment safe, clear, soft, no
of water: nutrients, smell, etc…
fat, pathogen, -Treatment of
water - Discharge back to
wastewater, solid the environment
particles ... -Treatment of (without pathogenes,
waste water nutrients…)

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 To identify the degree of water quality, we are called to work on the following three
levels:

I. Water quality II. Water quality III. Water quality

measurements assessment standards

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 Water
quality
measurement

1.Chemical 2. Chemical
3. Physical 4. Biological
parameters parameters
Parameters Parameters
(organic) (inorganic)

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 I. Water quality measurements
1.Chemical parameters (organic)
2. Chemical parameters (inorganic)
3. Physical Parameters
4. Biological Parameters
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 Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a determining factor in the quality
of water in rivers, lakes and other rivers.
 Oxygen demand ( in particular biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD)), is a major parameter indicating the potential for
pollution from various discharges into water affluent.
 Nitrogen is a useful measure of water quality in rivers and
lakes.
 Total Suspended solids in water, which include dissolved solids,
some of which could be harmful to aquatic life or to people
who drink this water.
 The potential presence of infectious bacteria and viruses has
adverse effects on human health.
 Water
quality
measurement

1.Chemical 2. Chemical
3. Physical 4. Biological
parameters parameters
Parameters Parameters
(organic) (inorganic)

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 1. Disolved oxygen (DO)
 oxygen enters water by diffusion via : - exchange with the atmosphere.
- photosynthesis and by turbulence.
Échange avec l’atmosphère
 The dissolved oxygen found in lakes and rivers is used for the respiration of
aquatic organisms.
 Causes of the decrease in dissolved oxygen: In addition to the natural causes
mentioned above (respiration of aquatic organisms, water temperature,
turbulence, etc.), human activities around water ressources can have a great
influence on the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water. For example, photosynthèse
runoff from areas where there is fertilizer application or the presence of non-
compliant septic systems enriches the lakes with nutrients, which promotes the
growth of aquatic plants and algae. This input of organic matter can cause a net
loss of dissolved oxygen at the surface during the night and at in depth, where
light does not reach.

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beaucoup de turbulence peu de turbulence
 Température Oxygène dissous Température Oxygène dissous

°C mg/L °C mg/L

for exemple : 0
1
14.60
14.19
23
24
8.56
8.40
2 13.81 25 8.24
3 13.44 26 8.09
We take a sample, which has a temperature of 20 ° C, 4 13.09 27 7.95

and we measure the D.O = 8.5 mg / L. find the 5 12.75 28 7.81

6 12.43 29 7.67
percentage of saturation. 7 12.12 30 7.54
8 11.83 31 7.41
9 11.55 32 7.28
10 11.27 33 7.16
11 11.01 34 7.05
12 10.76 35 6.93
13 10.52 36 6.82
14 10.29 37 6.71
15 10.07 38 6.61
16 9.85 39 6.51
17 9.65 40 6.41
18 9.45 41 6.31
19 9.26 42 6.22
20 9.07 43 6.13
21 8.90 44 6.04
22 8.72 45 5.95

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 Saturation
 Moins de 60 % : low ;
 60 à 79 % : acceptable to most running water organisms ;
 80 à 125 % : excellent for most running water organisms ;
 125 % ou plus : too high ; can be dangerous for fish.

mg/L
 0 à 2 mg/L : insufficient oxygen for most organisms to survive ;
 2 à 4 mg/L : only certain species of fish and insects can survive;
 4 à 7 mg/L : good for most pond organisms, acceptable for warm water fish
species, poor for cold water fish species ;
 7 à 11 mg/L : ideal for most cold running water fish.

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 2. Oxygen demand (OD)
 Perhaps even more important than
determining dissolved oxygen is the
measurement of the rate at which this
D.B.O
oxygen is used up by microorganisms that
break down organic matter. D.th.O D.C.O
 There are three types of methods for
determining oxygen demand: theoretical Demande
oxygen demand (Th.O.D), biochemical en
oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygène
oxygen demand (COD).

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 a) Theoretical oxygen demand (ThOD)
 Is the oxygen demand necessary to effect the decomposition of materials, evaluated from
stoichiometry, assuming that all organic materials will be decomposed completely
 Exp: C6H12O6 + aO2→bCO2 + cH2O
 If the compound is a hydrocarbon, which contains only carbon and hydrogen, the
decomposition products are CO2 and H2O. If the compound is an amine, which contains
carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen, the decomposition products are CO2, H2O and NH3.
 Once the chemical reaction is known, the theoretical oxygen demand (ThOD) can be
calculated as follows:
ThOD = C−ThOD + N−ThOD
Where C-ThOD is due to the decomposition of carbonaceous (organic) matter and N-
ThOD is due to the decomposition of nitrogenous matter.

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 Exercise 1
What is the theoretical oxygen demand in mg/L for 1,67 × 10-3 mol/L of a glucose
solution C6H12O6 to be decomposed completly ?

C6H12O6 + aO2→bCO2 + cH2O

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 Exercise 2
What is the theoretical oxygen demand in liters of air for a 50 mg / L acetone
solution, CH3COCH3, to decompose completely?

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 b) biochemical oxygen demand(BOD)
 The BOD corresponds to the quantity of dioxygen necessary for the aerobic
microorganisms of water to oxidize the organic matter, dissolved or in suspension in the
water = This biodegradable organic matter is evaluated by the oxygen consumed by the
microorganisms involved in natural purification mechanisms
 a very low BOD rate indicates that:
(1) contamination is absent,
(2) available microorganisms cannot consume available organic substances
(3) microorganisms are dead or dying.
 BOD is often measured for 5-day incubation period at 20 ° C (temperature favorable
for the activity of O2-consuming microorganisms) in the dark (to avoid parasitic
photosynthesis) called BOD5. Other BOD can be used like BODu (ultimate BOD)
which is measured for a very long time (often 30 days)

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  Two samples are required to perform the measurement: the first is used to measure
the initial O2 concentration, the second is used to measure the residual O2
concentration after 5 days. The BOD5 is therefore the difference between these 2
concentrations. The measurements will be carried out on the same volume and the
second sample will be stored for 5 days in the dark and at 20 ° C.

• The BOD test is universal, it is

performed using a standard BOD bottle
(volume approximately 300 ml), as shown
in the figure beside. The bottle is made of
special non-reactive glass and has a ground
glass stopper that creates a seal so that
oxygen cannot enter or leave the bottle
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 The BOD5 can therefore be calculated as follows:

BOD5 = DOi –DOf

With ODi (mg/L) is the initial dissolved oxygen (at t = 0) et DOf (mg/L) is the final
dissolved oxygen (after t = 5 days)

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 c) Chimical Oxygen Demand (COD)
 It is a laboratory method which essentially determines the DthO
 This is the measurement of the oxygen level required for the oxidation of all
organic, biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials present in the sample
 It can be measured using a sample mixed with a chemical oxidizing agent
(potassium dichromate, K2Cr2O7) plus aacid (sulfuric acid, H2SO4) and then
heated. COD is determined by measuring the consumption of K2Cr2O7
 Advantage: result obtained after 3 hours

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 Water
quality
measurement

1.Chemical 2. Chemical
3. Physical 4. Biological
parameters parameters
Parameters Parameters
(organic) (inorganic)

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 Physical parameter
 The separation of solids from water is one of the primary purposes of wastewater
treatment.
 Every thing that is not water or gas is classified as solid, which means that a large
portion of wastewater is actually solids. However, the usual definition of solids is
evaporation residue at 103 ° C (a temperature slightly above the boiling point of
water). These solids are called TS total solids.
 The test is performed by placing a known volume of sample in a large evaporator
cuvette and allowing the water to evaporate.

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 Total Solide TS
The total solids is then calculated as follows:
−
=
 T S = Total solids, mg/L
 Wds = weigh of dish plus the dry solids after evaporation, mg
 Wd = weight of the clean dish, mg
 V = volume of sample, L

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  Total solids can be divided into two fractions: TDS dissolved solids and TSS
suspended solids.
 If a teaspoon of common table salt is placed in a glass of water, the salt will
dissolve. The salt stays in place if the water evaporates.
 However, a spoonful of sand does not dissolve and remains as grains of sand in the
water. Salt is an example of dissolved solids while sand is a suspended solid.

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 Solides en suspension
−
=

 TS S = suspended solids, mg/L

 Wdf = weight of dish plus dry filtred solids, mg
 Wd = weight of clean crucible and filter, mg
 V = volume of sample, L

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  Solids can be classified in another way: those which are volatilized at high
temperature VDS and those which are fixed solids FDS
 Although volatile solids are considered organic, some of the inorganic compounds
are decomposed and volatilized also at the temperature of 600 ° C used for the
test.

−
=
FD S = fixed solids, mg/L
Wdu = weight of dish plus unberned soids, mg
Wd = weight of clean crucible and filter, mg
V = volume of sample, L

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  Les solides volatils VDS peuvent alors être calculés comme suit:

= −

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 Exercice 6
A laboratory runs a soids test. The weight of the crucible = 48,6212 g. A 100 ml
sample is placed in the crucible and the water is evaporated. The weight of the
crucible and dry solids = 48,6432 g. The crucibe is placed in a 600 C furnace for
24 hr and cooled in a desiccator. The weight of the cooled crucible and residue, or
unburned solids = 48,6300 g. Find the total, volatile, and fixed solids in mg/L.

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 Suspended volatiles (VSS) are determined by simply placing the Gooch crucible
(filter) in a hot furnace (600 ° C), allowing the organic fraction to burn and thus
weighing the crucible again. Weight loss is interpreted as volatile suspended matter.

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 II. Evaluation of water qualiy
The seven main components for assessing water quality are as follows
- SS
- BOD
- Pathogens
- DS
- Metals
- Nitrates, Phosphore
- Organics pollutant

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 III. Water quality standards
Standards to improve water quality:
 WHO (World Health Organization)
 EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
 EU (European Union)
 FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)
 LIBNOR (Lebanese Standards Institution)

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 Exercise 7
Calculate the oxygen concentration in milligrams per liter required to completely
oxidize the following organic compound. Also calculate the liter of air per liter of
solution treated. Use 500 mg / L as the concentration of tertiary methyl butyl
ether (MTBE): C5H12O (M = 88 g / mol)

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 Exercice 9
 Consider the following results:
OD i = 8 mg / L
OD f = 0mg / L
D = 10
What can be said about BOD5?

 If you have two bottles filled with the water of a lake and you have kept one in the dark
and the other in the light. Which of these two bottles will have the highest DO after a few
days?
 We obtained the following results: TS = 4000 mg / L; TSS = 5000 mg / L; VSS = 2000
mg / L; FSS = 1000 mg / L. Which of these values is the false value?

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